Between 2000 and 2017, the proportion of the global population using safely managed drinking water – the highest level of service – increased from 61 per cent to 71 per cent. The fastest progress was seen in Central and Southern Asia and in Latin America and the Caribbean. Overall, 90 per cent of the world’s population had at least basic drinking water services. Despite those gains, 785 million people still lacked even basic drinking water services in 2017.
World Merit on Goal 6
Basic water, sanitation and hygiene services are important not only in homes, but also in public areas where people congregate. In 2016, one third of all primary schools lacked basic drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services. That adversely affected the education and health of millions of schoolchildren, particularly girls coping with menstruation. One out of four health-care facilities worldwide also lacked basic drinking water services, affecting over 2 billion people and increasing the infection risk of people seeking medical care.