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Progress on Ambient Water Quality (SDG target 6.3)

Investments in measures to protect, restore and monitor water quality have positive effects on both terrestrial and marine ecosystem health more broadly, and lower the costs for drinking water treatment.

  • 56 % of the world’s monitored water bodies has good ambient water quality (SDG indicator 6.3.2, 2023)

Available time series: 2017-2023
Number of countries (and areas) reporting in the last five years: 123
Proportion of world population covered by reporting in the last five years:80%

Proportion of world land area covered by reporting in the last five years: 81%
Learn more about the indicator here 
Read the latest progress report here

SDG target 6.3 is: ‘By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally.’

To track progress towards the target, SDG indicator 6.3.2 monitors the proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality, as per national and/or subnational water quality standards and based on measurements of five water quality parameters that inform on the most common pressures on water quality at the global level.

Global status of indicator 6.3.2 Level 1 Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality (2023)

Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality (%)

Status in different countries (or areas) of indicator 6.3.2 Level 1 Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality (2023)

  • Australia and New Zealand
  • Eastern and South-Eastern Asia
  • Central and Southern Asia
  • Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Europe and Northern America
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand)
  • Northern Africa and Western Asia

Status in different SDG regions of indicator 6.3.2 Level 1 Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality (2023)

Status of different components of indicator 6.3.2 Level 1 Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality (2023)

Source data of indicator 6.3.2 Level 1 Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality

Country (or area), regional and world data for the latest year of reporting: 2017 - 2023

Country (or area), region, worldYear 6.3.2 Level 1 Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality
Overall Rivers Open water bodies Groundwater
Albania202339.0621.61095
Andorra2017-2023686875
Angola202375.2510067
Antigua and Barbuda202300
Argentina2020-202362.262.221.88
Australia2020-202383.76919283
Australia and New Zealand202380.677.949.682.3
Austria202382.2681.9790.3396.43
Azerbaijan202356.657.953.32
Bahamas202364.7164.71
Bahrain20234.54.5
Belarus2020-202369.22589562.8
Belgium202326.256.52054.55
Belize202378.9560100
Benin202389.3988.8910089.34
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)202355.5655.56
Bosnia and Herzegovina202330.5828.3510094.74
Botswana202383.819610082
Brazil202368.2368.2870.5737.5
Bulgaria202332.6831.8210031.75
Burkina Faso20238.990018.55
Burundi2023100100100100
Cabo Verde20238989
Cameroon2023405033.33
Canada202387.9587.95
Central and Southern Asia2020-202333.133.138.7
Chile202373.0667.6376.75
China202388.5290.273.8
Colombia202352.5852.58
Costa Rica202363.9263.92
Croatia202390.9189.810092
Cyprus20237547.6287.595.65
Czechia2020-202315.5397.510015.53
Côte d'Ivoire202376.9266.6785.71
Democratic Republic of the Congo20236666
Denmark2020-202329.3122.222529.31
Dominican Republic202388.2486.67100
Eastern and South-Eastern Asia202381.673.580.895.2
El Salvador20235151
Estonia202318.518.044.5851.29
Eswatini20237070
Ethiopia202372.7385.7150
Europe and Northern America20235146.450.977.6
Fiji2017-2023100100100100
Finland202359.7129.2991.4825.33
France202385.2686.1966.2285.4
Gabon202393.5591.3100100
Gambia20235858
Georgia20239292
Germany2017-202376.742.572.484.05
Ghana20238383
Greece202320.3740.8866.677.41
Guinea202380.8980.89
Guyana202367.7667.76
Hungary202312.983.537.8365.41
Iceland202350501000
India20231010
Indonesia202355
Ireland202358.2506992
Israel202340050
Italy202350.6651.8936.8850.08
Jamaica202362.9893.2538.52
Japan2020-202357.1460500
Jordan2017-202010066.67100100
Kazakhstan2020-202348.8648.8638.71
Kenya202337.0533.715042.85
Lao People's Democratic Republic2023808080
Latin America and the Caribbean202357.456.649.172.3
Latvia202383.7695.4668.04100
Lebanon202329.09302030
Lesotho2017-202364.7164.711000
Liberia20235033.33100
Liechtenstein202380.278100
Lithuania202322.3618.5828.1744.44
Luxembourg202300
Madagascar202390.6794.1294.5981.58
Malawi202375.2567100
Mali20237077.780
Malta20236.676.67
Marshall Islands2017-20238710087
Mexico202356.8956.8956.89
Montenegro202395.3596.2310090.91
Morocco202379.1576.1485.9476.27
Namibia2017-2023636360100
Netherlands202312.6716.3811.694.17
New Zealand202357.9361.3649.6358.93
Niger20208080
Nigeria202350.784065.06
North Macedonia2017-202372.2272.221000
Northern Africa and Western Asia202367.375.57752.2
Norway2020-20231001001000
Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand)202397.310010088.3
Panama202375.2374.77100
Paraguay202371.6175.2166.670
Peru202337.4439.423.5
Poland202367.5968.0663.3379.59
Portugal202352.9462.2838.36
Qatar20235050
Republic of Korea202393.5686.3392.5295.16
Romania2020-202350.8652.21044.4
Russian Federation2023100100100
Rwanda202377.7872.731000
Saint Kitts and Nevis20238282
Samoa2023100100100
Senegal202344.4466.6733.33
Serbia202350.7976.47023.08
Sierra Leone20237079.4150
Singapore2023100100
Slovakia2020-202361.4435.44089.19
Slovenia202386.8191.293085.71
South Africa202370.69704778
South Sudan2023100100100100
Spain202321.619.223.6533.71
Sub-Saharan Africa202378.772.475.180.9
Sudan2017-202310010070100
Sweden202348.3734.5852.9697.62
Switzerland2020-202379.4179.4136.4
Thailand202336.7638.3325
Togo2020100100100100
Trinidad and Tobago202387.587.5
Tunisia202384.948386
Türkiye202378.457971
Uganda202384.0978.12100
United Arab Emirates2023100100100
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland2020-202332.88333257.76
United Republic of Tanzania202388.8985.71100
United States of America202341.9739.9845.63
Uruguay202381.7582.2978.5
World20235649.752.279.9
Yemen202337.837.8
Zambia2017-202385.71100066.67
Zimbabwe202380.9580.95
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