In a statement on Channel One TV’s The Point of View with Bernard Avle on Wednesday, November 4, Government Statistician Dr Alhassan Iddrisu announced that 92 per cent of Ghanaian households now use an improved source of drinking water, up from 60.7 per cent in 2000.
The figure comes from the population and housing censuses, which show steady progress over the past two decades. Iddrisu noted that the proportion of households using improved water sources rose to 86 per cent in 2010 before reaching 92 per cent in 2021.
“In this population census that we take, we visit households, we ask them questions with regard to the assets they have, to certain facilities or amenities, including water,” Iddrisu said. “And the number we have for the 2000 population census was 60.7 per cent of households saying they have access to drinking water, to an improved source.”
He added that the 2021 census showed about nine in ten households having access to improved drinking water. The increase represents a 31.3‑percentage‑point rise between 2000 and 2021.
However, the indicator measures only the proportion of households using a source classified as improved and does not necessarily establish continuous availability or quality of water at the point of use.
Ghana’s progress in basic services is a positive sign for the country’s development agenda, though continued efforts are needed to ensure reliable water supply and quality for all households.
