FACT SHEET: Five Million People In The Pacific Still Lack Access To Basic Drinking Water Services – WHO, UNICEF

NEW YORK/GENEVA/FIJI, 30 August 2025 – Despite progress over the last decade, billions of people around the world, including the Pacific, still lack access to essential water, sanitation, and hygiene services, putting them at risk of disease and deeper social exclusion.

A new report: Progress on Household Drinking Water and Sanitation 2000–2024: special focus on inequalities – launched by WHO and UNICEF during World Water Week 2025 – reveals that, while some progress has been made, major gaps persist. People living in low-income countries, fragile contexts, rural communities, children, and minority ethnic and indigenous groups face the greatest disparities.

Ten Pacific* key facts from the report:

• Between 2020-2025, urban population in the Pacific with safely managed drinking water** nearly doubled from 715,000 to 1.2 million.
• Rural gains: Rural communities saw a major leap in basic drinking water access, rising from 2.1 million to 5.7 million.
• Still left behind: Despite progress, five million people still lack basic drinking water services.
• Falling short of 2030 goals: To achieve universal access by 2030, the region needs a 40 per cent point increase. At the current pace, coverage will only reach 64 per cent, far below the target.
• Sanitation crisis: Nine million people still live without basic sanitation services.
• Stalled progress: Current trends suggest only 33 per cent coverage of basic sanitation by 2030 unless urgent action is taken.
• Hygiene gaps: Basic hygiene services cover only 42 per cent of the population - far from the 100 per cent target set by the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Deep inequalities: Rural areas and low-income communities face the greatest disparities in access.
• Climate threats: Cyclones, droughts, and other threats continue to disrupt progress and worsen vulnerabilities.
• Urgent call to action: Without accelerated investment and bold action, the Pacific will fall far short of its 2030 WASH commitments.

*15 Pacific Island Countries and Territories.

**JMP definition of ‘Safely managed drinking water and sanitation services’: Drinking water from sources located on premises, free from contamination and available when needed, and using hygienic toilets from which wastes are treated and disposed of safely.

To download the full report and data visit: https://data.unicef.org/resources/jmp-report-2025/

This latest update – produced by WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP) – provides new national, regional, and global estimates for water, sanitation, and hygiene services in households from 2000 until 2024. The report also includes expanded data on menstrual health for 70 countries, revealing challenges that affect women and girls across all income levels.

The report was launched during World Water Week (24 – 28 August) 2025, the leading annual conference on global water issues, bringing together stakeholders from across sectors to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. The theme of the Week ‘Water for Climate Action’ focuses on the pivotal role of water in global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to build resilience safeguarding ecosystems and communities. In addition to the report launch, the UNICEF delegation to Stockholm World Water Week is convening several sessions and speaking at a variety of panels focused on climate resilient, sustainable, inclusive, and innovative WASH programming for children and their families. More information: https://worldwaterweek.org/

About the JMP
The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP) was established in 1990 and has been tracking global progress for 35 years. It is responsible for monitoring Sustainable Development Goal targets 1.4, 6.1 and 6.2, which call for universal access to safe water, sanitation, hygiene, and the elimination of open defecation by 2030.

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