society · Basic services

Do Indians have basic drinking water?

Share of people using at least basic drinking-water services.

95.7%
1.2x since 2000 People using at least basic drinking water services · 2024
0% 25% 50% 75% 100% 2000200420082012201620202024 2024
Source: World Bank Indicators API · indicator SH.H2O.BASW.ZS Fetched 3/6/2026

At a glance

95.7%
latest value, 2024
79.5%
first value, 2000
25
annual observations in this artifact
annual
source frequency
The explanation Draft prose wraps locked source numbers; no numbers are generated at request time

Water access is high on paper, but access does not automatically mean quality, reliability, or convenience.

Water access is high on paper, but access does not automatically mean quality, reliability, or convenience.

Share of people using at least basic drinking-water services.

Read this as one piece of evidence, not the whole story. The useful question is what changes over time, what stays stuck, and what the indicator leaves out.

Keep pulling the thread

How urban is India? -> How many Indians are in the labour force? -> How many Indian women are in the labour force? ->

Methodology

MeasurePeople using at least basic drinking water services
GeographyIndia
Unit% of population
TransformValues displayed as percent of population.
CaveatBasic service definitions do not capture every quality and reliability problem.