A whopping 2.1 billion people or one in every four people globally lack access to safely managed drinking water, according to a joint report by UN agencies WHO and the UNICEF on Tuesday.

This includes 106 million people who drink directly from untreated surface sources, stated the report, released as part of the World Water Week 2025.

Despite progress over the last decade, billions of people around the world still lack access to essential water, sanitation, and hygiene services, putting them at risk of disease and deeper social exclusion.