Two Billion People Lack Safe Drinking Water Globally

More than two billion people live in countries with water scarcity, a situation anticipated to worsen due to climate change and population growth. In 2022, at least 1.7 billion people were forced to use contaminated water for drinking, posing significant health risks.

Microbial contamination from feces is the primary risk to drinking water safety. In addition to this, arsenic, fluoride, and nitrates, alongside emerging contaminants like pharmaceuticals, pesticides, PFAS chemicals, and microplastics, present dangers. Adequate amounts of safe water are essential for maintaining good hygiene and preventing diseases such as diarrhea and respiratory infections.

Diseases transmitted through contaminated water, including cholera and typhoid fever, cause over 505,000 diarrheal deaths annually. While 73% of the global population had access to safely managed drinking water services in 2022, 2.2 billion people—particularly those in informal settlements and rural areas—still lack guaranteed access to clean water.

Globally, only 5.6 billion people were served by safely managed drinking water services in 2022. Of the 2.2 billion without such services, 1.5 billion had "basic" services, 292 million had "limited" services, and hundreds of millions relied on unprotected wells or surface water by 2022.

Health risks are also associated with inadequate access to clean water in healthcare facilities. Six percent of patients in high-income countries and 15% in middle- and low-income countries contract at least one healthcare-associated infection during their hospital stay.