QUICK WATER FACTS

IN 2017, 71 per cent of the global population (5.3 billion people) used a safely managed drinking-water service – that is, one located on premises, available when needed, and free from contamination.

90 per cent of the global population (6.8 billion people) used at least a basic service. A basic service is an improved drinking-water source within a round trip of 30 minutes to collect water.

Globally, at least 2 billion people use a drinking water source contaminated with faeces.

Contaminated water can transmit diseases such diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio. Contaminated drinking water is estimated to cause 485 000 diarrhoeal deaths each year.

By 2025, half of the world’s population will be living in waterstressed areas.

In least developed countries, 22 per cent of health care facilities have no water service, 21 per cent no sanitation service, and 22 per cent no waste management service.

(Source: World Health Organisation)

785 million people don’t have clean water close to home.

(WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) Report 2019)

Every minute a newborn dies from infection caused by lack of safe water and an unclean environment.

(WHO, 2015)

Diarrhoea caused by dirty water and poor toilets kills a child under 5 every 2 minutes. (WASHWatch.org)

Around the world up to 443 million school days are lost every year because of water-related illnesses.

(Human Development Report, 2006)

Every $1 invested in water and toilets returns an average of $4 in increased productivity. (WHO, 2012)

2 billion people don’t have a decent toilet of their own.

(WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) Report 2019