Nepal
Capital: Kathmandu · Lower middle income · Pop. 29.7 million
Source: World Bank Open Data (WHO/UNICEF JMP & FAO AQUASTAT) · drinking water 2024
In Nepal, 16.49% 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 24.8 million people without safely managed drinking water at home.
Sanitation tracks closely: 53.41% use safely managed sanitation services and 86.03% have at least a basic service (2024).
Nepal has about 6,670 cubic meters of renewable internal freshwater per person each year. It withdraws the equivalent of 5% of those internal resources annually (low water stress).
Agriculture accounts for about 98% of Nepal's water withdrawals, the rest going to households and industry.
Common questions
How many people in Nepal have safe drinking water?
16.49% of Nepal's population uses safely managed drinking water (2024), per WHO/UNICEF data; about 24.8 million people do not.
Does Nepal have enough freshwater?
Nepal has roughly 6,670 m³ of renewable internal freshwater per person per year, and uses about 5% of it annually (low stress).