Water Facts
The world's water crisis in numbers
Behind every statistic is a mother, a child, a community fighting for survival. Understanding the crisis is the first step toward ending it.
The Crisis
The water crisis in numbers
1 in 6
People Without Safe Water
8 sec
One Child Lost
50%
Hospital Beds
For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills.
Deuteronomy 8:7
Earth's Water Supply
Only 1% is available for human use
Nearly 97% of all water on earth is saltwater or otherwise undrinkable. Another 2% is locked in ice caps and glaciers. That leaves just 1% for every agricultural, residential, manufacturing, community, and personal need on the planet.
The water exists. The challenge is reaching the people who need it most.
The Global Impact
Facts that demand action
Leading Cause of Child Death
Water-related diseases are the number one killer of children under five years old across the globe.
3+ Hours for Drinking Water
At least one billion people must walk three hours or more each day just to obtain drinking water.
80% of Illness in Developing World
Water-related diseases account for 80% of all illnesses and deaths in the developing world.
2.4 Billion Lack Sanitation
Billions of people worldwide live without access to adequate sanitation, compounding waterborne illness.
Poverty and Water Are Linked
Two in three people without safe drinking water survive on less than $2 per day. One in three survives on less than $1.
Schistosomiasis Threat
Over 251 million people required treatment for schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease spread through contaminated water.