Richmond Hill, Ontario | 27 April 2026 — Unsafe drinking water is not just a technical problem. It is a sign of deeper inequality, concludes a new investigation of the state of water quality in 138 countries by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU‑INWEH). The report, Water Quality: A Mirror and Magnifier of Structural Inequalities and Social Injustice , shows that poor water quality mirrors and worsens poverty and gender inequality across the Global South.
The UN University scientists find that how rich a country is and how fairly men and women are treated mirrors its drinking water safety to a good extent. In nearly 75% of the analyzed countries, water safety is correlated with wealth and gender equality. This does not suggest that investment in water infrastructure is unimportant. Instead, it suggests that pipes and treatment plants on their own would not guarantee improved water quality. The UN scientists conclude that what matters, along with the state of water infrastructure, is whether a country can afford to maintain those systems and whether everyone, including women, has equal power, protection, and access to services.
Of the countries studied, 74 countries (54%) do not meet basic drinking water safety standards. At the same time, 84 countries (61%) face a combination of unsafe or poor-quality drinking water, limited financial resources to invest in water services and infrastructure, and gender inequality. Together, these overlapping challenges affect around 2 billion people, nearly one out of every four people living in the Global South.
The analysis identifies a particular vulnerable group of 41 countries (about 30%) in which unsafe water, poverty, and gender inequality co-exist and reinforce one another. These countries are trapped in cycles of ill health, exclusion, and underdevelopment, which the researchers refer to as a lose-lose-lose situation. Limited financial resources make it difficult to improve water systems, while gender inequality often means that women and girls shoulder the burden of unsafe water. This makes it especially hard for these countries to improve water safety. By contrast, only 54 countries (39%) fall into a "win–win–win" category, with safer water, stronger economic capacity, and narrower gender gaps.
"Unsafe water is often treated as a technical failure," said Professor Grace Oluwasanya , Senior Researcher on Water, Climate and Gender at UNU‑INWEH and lead author of the report. "But our findings show it is also a social failure. Water quality reflects who is protected by systems, and who is left to cope on their own."
The report also shows clear regional differences. Developing countries in Europe are the least vulnerable among the studied group, followed by South America, Asia, Central America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands. Africa ranks as the most vulnerable region, reflecting weaker economic conditions, governance challenges, and wider gender inequalities.
"This report is a wake-up call that exposes the profound injustice in our global water systems," said Professor Kaveh Madani , Director of UNU-INWEH and a co-author of the report. "Water quality acts as both a mirror and a magnifier of inequalities. If we are serious about achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, addressing this triple threat of unsafe water, poverty, and gender exclusion is not just an ethical imperative, but a strategic necessity."
To break these cycles of exclusion, the report calls for a move beyond GDP-focused thinking and infrastructure-only solutions. The authors recommend targeted international financing for highly vulnerable countries, stronger regional cooperation to manage shared water risks, and placing gender equality at the centre of water governance and investment decisions.
"The message is clear: pipes and treatment plants matter, but they are not enough. Technology alone will not solve the water crisis. Without addressing inequality, water investments will continue to leave millions behind," said Prof. Oluwasanya. "Fixing water means fixing the systems that decide whose lives are valued."
Key Findings at a Glance
About threequarters (73.4%) of the difference in water safety between countries is correlated with wealth and gender inequality, not with whether a country has modern water technology or treatment systems.
84 countries (61%) of the 138 Global South countries face overlapping socioeconomic and water security challenges, a crisis impacting approximately 2 billion people.
41 countries (30%) are trapped in a "lose–lose–lose" situation with the co-existence of poor water safety, low economic capacity, and wide gender gaps.
74 out of 138 countries (54%) fall below basic drinking water safety thresholds, posing serious public health risks.
Only 54 countries (39%) achieve strong performance across water safety, wealth, and gender equality.
On average, developing countries in Europe have drinking water safety levels more than three times higher than those in Africa, underscoring stark regional gaps.
The International Wealth Index (IWI) scores range from 99.9 in Mexico to 14.2 in South Sudan, reflecting stark inequities in national capacity to finance water infrastructure.
Drinking water safety varies widely, from extremely unsafe conditions in countries such as Niger to very high safety levels in countries like Brunei, demonstrating that water risks are shaped by policy and investment choices, not geography or the environment alone.
Even among wealthier countries in the Global South, water safety outcomes differ widely, showing that national income by itself does not guarantee safe water or gender equity without strong institutions and inclusive governance.
Publication Details:
Oluwasanya G., Omoniyi A., Matin M., Abu Shomar R., Madani K. (2026) Water Quality: A Mirror and Magnifier of Structural Inequalities and Social Injustice , United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. DOI: 10.53328/INR26RGW001
