AGUACYCLE
Sub-Saharan Africa

Ethiopia

Capital: Addis Ababa · Not classified · Pop. 132.1 million

13.55%
Safely managed drinking water
8.05%
Safely managed sanitation
973
m³ freshwater / person / yr
9%
Water stress · Low

Source: World Bank Open Data (WHO/UNICEF JMP & FAO AQUASTAT) · drinking water 2024

In Ethiopia, 13.55% of the population uses safely managed drinking water — an improved source, located on premises, available when needed, and free from contamination (2024 estimate). That leaves roughly 114.2 million people without safely managed drinking water at home.

Sanitation tracks closely: 8.05% use safely managed sanitation services and 10.36% have at least a basic service (2024).

Ethiopia has about 973 cubic meters of renewable internal freshwater per person each year — below the ~1,000 m³ threshold widely used to define water scarcity. It withdraws the equivalent of 9% of those internal resources annually (low water stress).

Agriculture accounts for about 92% of Ethiopia's water withdrawals, the rest going to households and industry.

Common questions

How many people in Ethiopia have safe drinking water?

13.55% of Ethiopia's population uses safely managed drinking water (2024), per WHO/UNICEF data; about 114.2 million people do not.

Does Ethiopia have enough freshwater?

Ethiopia has roughly 973 m³ of renewable internal freshwater per person per year, and uses about 9% of it annually (low stress).

Elsewhere in Sub-Saharan Africa