Countries With the Fastest Growth in Access to clean water (5-Year Change)

Name: Countries With the Fastest Growth in Access to clean water (5-Year Change)
Creator: The World Bank
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Change in Access to clean water over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that rose are listed. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).

Summary

Lao PDR rose the most: by 13.7 pts, from 21.5% of population (safely managed) to 35.2% of population (safely managed) in the five years to 2024. Jordan is second (+9.12 pts), followed by Morocco (+8.88 pts). 102 countries rose over that period; the median change among them was +0.849 pts.

#1: Lao PDR · +13.7 pts
Median: +0.849 pts
Coverage: 102 countries
Data year: 2024
Last updated: 2026-11-14

Top 10: 5-year change (points). Bar chart of the top 10: 1. Lao PDR 13.7; 2. Jordan 9.12; 3. Morocco 8.88; 4. India 8.51; 5. Ghana 6.87; 6. Mongolia 5.39; 7. Mozambique 5.29; 8. Uzbekistan 5.16; 9. Bhutan 5; 10. Lesotho 4.7.

Full ranking

Countries With the Fastest Growth in Access to clean water (5-Year Change), 2024
Rank	Country	From	To	5-year change (points)
1	Lao PDR	21.5	35.2	+13.7 pts
2	Jordan	79.8	89	+9.12 pts
3	Morocco	71.1	80	+8.88 pts
4	India	67.9	76.4	+8.51 pts
5	Ghana	36.1	42.9	+6.87 pts
6	Mongolia	38	43.4	+5.39 pts
7	Mozambique	22.3	27.5	+5.29 pts
8	Uzbekistan	76.8	81.9	+5.16 pts
9	Bhutan	60.6	65.6	+5 pts
10	Lesotho	26.6	31.3	+4.7 pts
11	Tanzania	27.2	31.3	+4.16 pts
12	Hungary	95.8	100	+4.16 pts
13	Palau	86.7	90.8	+4.07 pts
14	Gambia, The	44.3	48.2	+3.9 pts
15	Afghanistan	26.7	30.6	+3.83 pts
16	Brazil	85	88.6	+3.61 pts
17	Tajikistan	62	65.1	+3.14 pts
18	Egypt, Arab Rep.	76	78.9	+2.97 pts
19	Madagascar	19.2	22.1	+2.89 pts
20	Uganda	15.2	18.1	+2.89 pts
21	Cambodia	27.1	30	+2.87 pts
22	Nigeria	27.2	29.9	+2.68 pts
23	Viet Nam	56	58.6	+2.57 pts
24	Ireland	93.7	96.1	+2.44 pts
25	Malawi	15.8	18.2	+2.36 pts
26	Myanmar	57.6	59.7	+2.15 pts
27	Slovenia	97.5	99.6	+2.1 pts
28	Ethiopia	11.5	13.5	+2.02 pts
29	Azerbaijan	55.9	57.8	+1.95 pts
30	Honduras	63.6	65.5	+1.91 pts
31	Eswatini	36.3	38.2	+1.9 pts
32	New Zealand	98.1	100	+1.88 pts
33	Togo	18.7	20.5	+1.81 pts
34	Moldova	74	75.8	+1.79 pts
35	Senegal	25.7	27.2	+1.54 pts
36	São Tomé and Principe	35.1	36.7	+1.54 pts
37	Georgia	69.1	70.5	+1.44 pts
38	Sierra Leone	9.49	10.9	+1.4 pts
39	Lithuania	95.4	96.7	+1.35 pts
40	Ecuador	68.6	69.9	+1.32 pts
41	Paraguay	63.1	64.4	+1.28 pts
42	Congo, Rep.	44.6	45.9	+1.27 pts
43	Isle of Man	98.7	99.9	+1.22 pts
44	Colombia	73.2	74.3	+1.17 pts
45	Philippines	47.3	48.5	+1.16 pts
46	Kazakhstan	90.4	91.5	+1.15 pts
47	Kiribati	14.1	15.1	+1.01 pts
48	Indonesia	29.5	30.5	+0.974 pts
49	Bangladesh	58.2	59.1	+0.943 pts
50	Latvia	96.1	97	+0.891 pts
51	Estonia	98.1	98.9	+0.866 pts
52	Oman	90.3	91.1	+0.833 pts
53	Guinea-Bissau	23.2	24	+0.809 pts
54	Turkmenistan	94.1	94.9	+0.803 pts
55	Benin	16.9	17.7	+0.769 pts
56	Guyana	66.5	67.2	+0.718 pts
57	Iran, Islamic Rep.	93.8	94.4	+0.645 pts
58	Fiji	41.5	42.1	+0.628 pts
59	Congo, Dem. Rep.	11.3	11.9	+0.574 pts
60	Seychelles	64.1	64.7	+0.574 pts
61	United States	97	97.6	+0.559 pts
62	Chile	97.3	97.8	+0.51 pts
63	Samoa	62	62.5	+0.493 pts
64	Iraq	59.4	59.8	+0.47 pts
65	Mexico	42.5	43	+0.463 pts
66	New Caledonia	96.4	96.9	+0.454 pts
67	American Samoa	90.1	90.5	+0.446 pts
68	Malaysia	94.3	94.7	+0.426 pts
69	Dominican Republic	44.9	45.3	+0.406 pts
70	Korea, Rep.	98.9	99.3	+0.39 pts
71	Croatia	86.9	87.3	+0.382 pts
72	Vanuatu	18.8	19.2	+0.364 pts
73	France	99.4	99.7	+0.337 pts
74	Russian Federation	75.9	76.3	+0.336 pts
75	Pakistan	44.7	45	+0.317 pts
76	Suriname	55.5	55.8	+0.313 pts
77	Portugal	94.9	95.2	+0.305 pts
78	Slovak Republic	99.3	99.6	+0.289 pts
79	Belarus	92.8	93.1	+0.285 pts
80	Cyprus	99.4	99.7	+0.283 pts
81	North Macedonia	80.5	80.8	+0.248 pts
82	Italy	96.5	96.8	+0.242 pts
83	Chad	6.11	6.34	+0.227 pts
84	Romania	82	82.2	+0.225 pts
85	Japan	98.5	98.7	+0.181 pts
86	Tuvalu	8.54	8.72	+0.179 pts
87	Montenegro	85.3	85.5	+0.16 pts
88	Korea, Dem. People's Rep.	66.5	66.6	+0.146 pts
89	Denmark	99.8	99.9	+0.144 pts
90	Serbia	74.8	75	+0.143 pts
91	Virgin Islands (US)	98.5	98.7	+0.131 pts
92	Albania	70.7	70.8	+0.128 pts
93	Tonga	29.5	29.6	+0.095 pts
94	West Bank and Gaza	80.6	80.6	+0.079 pts
95	Trinidad and Tobago	69.3	69.4	+0.071 pts
96	Sweden	99.7	99.8	+0.057 pts
97	Luxembourg	99.6	99.7	+0.02 pts
98	Hong Kong SAR, China	100	100	+0.012 pts
99	United Arab Emirates	98.6	98.6	+0.011 pts
100	Finland	99.6	99.6	+0.011 pts

Showing the top 100 of 102. Premium downloads the full list as CSV or JSON.

About the top 10

#1 Lao PDR

Lao PDR ranks #1 on this list with +13.7 pts.

Capital: Vientiane
Continent: Asia
Income group: Lower middle income
Population: 7.87 million people (2025)
GDP: US$18.3 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$2,325 (2025)
Life expectancy: 69.2 years (2024)
Urban population: 40.3% of population (2025)

Also ranks #2 in time to start a business (days) · #4 in official exchange rate · #7 in livestock production index.

Full country profile

#2 Jordan

Jordan ranks #2 on this list with +9.12 pts.

Capital: Amman
Continent: Asia
Income group: Upper middle income
Population: 11.52 million people (2025)
GDP: US$61.61 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$5,348 (2025)
Life expectancy: 78 years (2024)
Urban population: 93.2% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Amman, Irbid.

Also ranks #3 in refugee population by asylum · #8 in youth unemployment rate · #8 in immunisation (measles) rate.

Full country profile

#3 Morocco

Morocco ranks #3 on this list with +8.88 pts.

Capital: Rabat
Continent: Africa
Income group: Lower middle income
Population: 38.43 million people (2025)
GDP: US$182.37 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$4,673 (2025)
Life expectancy: 75.5 years (2024)
Urban population: 63.1% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Casablanca, Tangier, Fez.

Also ranks #15 in firms using banks to finance investment share · #16 in school enrolment (primary) · #16 in remittances received.

Full country profile

#4 India

India ranks #4 on this list with +8.51 pts.

Capital: New Delhi
Continent: Asia
Income group: Lower middle income
Population: 1.46 billion people (2025)
GDP: US$3.96 trillion (2025)
GDP per person: US$2,703 (2025)
Life expectancy: 72.2 years (2024)
Urban population: 35.7% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru.

Also ranks #1 in population · #1 in rural population · #1 in remittances received.

Full country profile

#5 Ghana

Ghana ranks #5 on this list with +6.87 pts.

Capital: Accra
Continent: Africa
Income group: Lower middle income
Population: 35.06 million people (2025)
GDP: US$114.21 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$3,257 (2025)
Life expectancy: 65.7 years (2024)
Urban population: 58.9% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Kumasi, Accra.

Also ranks #11 in deposit interest rate · #14 in inflation rate · #21 in forest rents share of gdp.

Full country profile

#6 Mongolia

Mongolia ranks #6 on this list with +5.39 pts.

Capital: Ulaanbaatar
Continent: Asia
Income group: Upper middle income
Population: 3.57 million people (2025)
GDP: US$25.37 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$7,108 (2025)
Life expectancy: 72.4 years (2024)
Urban population: 71.1% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Ulaanbaatar.

Also ranks #3 in mineral rents share of gdp · #4 in bank branches per 100,000 adults · #5 in hospital beds per 10,000.

Full country profile Weather in Ulaanbaatar (Purr Weather)

#7 Mozambique

Mozambique ranks #7 on this list with +5.29 pts.

Capital: Maputo
Continent: Africa
Income group: Low income
Population: 35.63 million people (2025)
GDP: US$22.34 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$626.9 (2025)
Life expectancy: 63.8 years (2024)
Urban population: 37.2% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Maputo, Matola.

Also ranks #2 in poverty headcount ratio · #3 in income share of richest 10% · #4 in debt service share of exports.

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#8 Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan ranks #8 on this list with +5.16 pts.

Capital: Tashkent
Continent: Asia
Income group: Lower middle income
Population: 37.05 million people (2025)
GDP: US$147.04 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$3,968 (2025)
Life expectancy: 72.5 years (2024)
Urban population: 51% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Tashkent.

Also ranks #2 in literacy rate · #4 in deposit interest rate · #5 in bank branches per 100,000 adults.

Full country profile

#9 Bhutan

Bhutan ranks #9 on this list with +5 pts.

Capital: Thimphu
Continent: Asia
Income group: Lower middle income
Population: 796,680 people (2025)
GDP: US$3.58 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$4,493 (2025)
Life expectancy: 73.3 years (2024)
Urban population: 43.4% of population (2025)

Also ranks #3 in gross capital formation rate · #4 in water resources per capita · #4 in protected terrestrial area share.

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#10 Lesotho

Lesotho ranks #10 on this list with +4.7 pts.

Capital: Maseru
Continent: Africa
Income group: Lower middle income
Population: 2.36 million people (2025)
GDP: US$2.57 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$1,089 (2025)
Life expectancy: 57.8 years (2024)
Urban population: 44.7% of population (2025)

Also ranks #1 in tax revenue share of gdp · #1 in suicide mortality rate · #2 in agricultural land share.

Full country profile

Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.

Source and method

Change in Access to clean water over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that rose are listed.

Source: The World Bank, indicator SH.H2O.SMDW.ZS. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.

The World Bank: People using safely managed drinking water services (% of population): WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO) (via World Development Indicators)

Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO).

Values are shown as published (changes are computed from the published values). Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.

Summary

Full ranking

About the top 10

#1 Lao PDR

#2 Jordan

#3 Morocco

#4 India

#5 Ghana

#6 Mongolia

#7 Mozambique

#8 Uzbekistan

#9 Bhutan

#10 Lesotho

Related rankings

Source and method