10 countries with the most expensive drinking water

The most expensive drinking water in the world, which was even listed in the Guinness Book of Records, is Acqua di Cristallo Tributo a Modigliani. A bottle of such a drink with a volume of 1,25 liters is estimated at 60 thousand dollars. There is an explanation for this fabulous cost. Firstly, the container itself claims to be a real work of art – its design does not even come close to resembling standard water bottles. In addition, it is completely covered with pure gold. Secondly, the bottle contains a mixture of the purest spring water from France, from the Fiji Islands and a melted glacier from Iceland.

Of course, drinking, which is consumed daily by residents of different parts of the world, is many times cheaper. However, there are countries on the world map where ordinary water, and not even the cleanest, is a real treasure. In some regions, in order to buy a daily serving of drink, a person has to pay more than he can earn in a day. This fact allows us to enroll these countries in the top regions with the most expensive drinking water in the world.

When water becomes unavailable

Despite the fact that there are so many fresh water reserves on our planet that should be enough for each of its inhabitants, nevertheless, according to the UN, more than 40% of the world’s population suffers from its shortage. According to experts, approximately 783 million people on the planet do not have access to clean water at all, and over 1,7 billion people, although they live in the area of ​​river basins, still need additional sources for drinking^[1].

The World Health Organization has calculated that for drinking, cooking and basic hygiene, one person needs at least 50 liters of clean water per day. In practice, in developed countries this number is almost 2 times higher, while in regions with the lowest incomes, even the minimum is not available.

In poor regions of the planet where there is no running water, the sources of water for residents are wells, springs and rivers, which are often located quite far from the settlements. But sometimes people don’t even have that option. In order not to die, they have only one way out – to buy water from suppliers. In many cases, families are forced to pay more than half of their daily income for such a service.

WaterAid, an international non-governmental organization dedicated to water supply and sanitation, has found that several hundred million people around the world do not use clean drinking water just because they cannot afford it. But even when people in poor countries buy water, it costs more for them, according to Sarina Prabasi, chief executive of WaterAid, than it does for wealthy Westerners.^[2].

WHO recommends that 50 liters of water per day cost a family no more than 3% of its income. In addition, the source of water should be no more than 1 km from the person’s home, and it should take no more than 30 minutes to collect it.^[1]. In reality, things are not so rosy.

According to WaterAid estimates, residents of poor countries spend much more on drinking water than those in economically stable regions. In developed countries, families pay no more than 0,1% of their income for drinking water. At the same time, a resident of, say, Madagascar, in order to get the amount of water recommended by WHO, has to spend about 45% of his daily income every day. But even this is not the limit.

Why is water more expensive in poor countries?

It would seem a paradox: the poorer the country, the more expensive its inhabitants pay for the right to use clean water. But everything is quite easy to explain in terms of economics. In developed countries, the state subsidizes water utilities. As a result, residents get access to cheap purified water. People living in poverty often do not have access to government subsidized sources. They have no choice but to buy water from illegal sources or from suppliers who knowingly overprice a scarce resource.

Consider a list of the top 10 countries with the most expensive drinking water.

Burkina Faso

For the poorest families in this state in West Africa, water costs average 10% of a daily wage. In this country of 15,7 million, almost one in five people do not have access to clean water. Buy liquid for drinking and household needs in kiosks.

India

In India, with a population of 1,34 billion, almost 76 million people do not have access to drinking water. And although a daily 50-liter norm in the country costs a little more than 70 cents, according to WaterAid, not everyone can afford it. For the poorest, this amount is about 17% of their daily earnings. Meanwhile, the cause of every fifth case of an infectious disease in the country is poor-quality water. 140 children die each year due to gastrointestinal diseases in India.

Ghana

Water supply in Ghana is far from being everywhere, but even where it is built, tap water does not always flow. So it turns out that the locals have to buy drinks from suppliers. In order for a resident of Ghana from the poor to receive 50 liters of liquid necessary for domestic needs, he will have to spend about a quarter of his daily salary. By the way, middle-class families whose houses have running water pay 50 times less for water.

Mozambique

Mozambique is a country where almost every second person does not have access to purified water. If there is no water source anywhere nearby, people have to buy it. Usually the sellers are the lucky ones with plumbing. Poor Mozambicans have to give away 36% of their income every day to buy water for their families. The poorest families in the country live on $2,01 a day. Of these, $0,72 goes to water.

Zambia

A WaterAid report shows that poor people in Zambia can spend about 37% of their average daily income on buying water.^[3]. As a rule, representatives of rural areas buy drink from the richer residents of the suburbs. Business in the country is built on the fact that the townspeople drill wells on their territory, and then sell water to poorer people. The average family in Zambia spends $1,08 per day on water, while the breadwinner earns an average of $2,94 per day.

Madagascar

Almost 50% of the population of Madagascar use water that does not meet sanitary standards for drinking and domestic purposes. And all because they can not afford to buy purified daily, 50 liters of which costs about 45% of the amount earned by a Madagascarian per day.

Papua New Guinea

In this country, people also experience a serious lack of drinking water. It is bought here from couriers from delivery services. According to researchers, in 2018, 50 liters cost approximately $2,6. For the Papuans, this is approximately 54% of daily income. In our time, the situation has not changed significantly. But not everyone can spend such sums on water. For 60% of Papua New Guinea’s 7,3 million people, buying a drink is a luxury they cannot afford.

Cambodia

Nowadays, in the capital of Cambodia, almost all citizens have free access to drinking water. And this is fundamentally different from how people lived in this country 10-15 years ago. But still, researchers draw the attention of the world community to the fact that 8 out of 10 Cambodians live in villages where there are still problems with access to purified water. In order for the poorest Cambodians to be able to get a daily portion of 50 liters of liquid, they have to pay an amount that is equal to 108% of their daily income.

Ethiopia

Every third person in Ethiopia is deprived of access to a source of clean water. In such cases, you have to buy it. In this country, where the daily salary of civil servants is just over 90 cents, you have to pay sometimes incomprehensible amounts for water. If an Ethiopian is ready to deliver water to his house on his own, then it will cost him about 15% of his earnings per day. If the drink is delivered by a delivery service, then the cost instantly increases to all 150% of the daily income. The easiest way to live in this country is for people who are lucky enough to be customers of public utilities. Their costs associated with water are reduced by almost 20 times.

Nigeria

Nigeria today is the most populous country in Africa, and by 2050 it could become one of the three world leaders in this indicator. And this is a huge problem for the country. Already today more than 60 million Nigerians do not have access to sources of drinking water. Not everyone can buy it: a 0,33-liter bottle in the country costs $0,22^[4], while the minimum daily wage in the country is about $3,40^[5].

Where else can water problems arise?

There is an opinion that water scarcity is a problem exclusively for third world countries. But after the UN experts analyzed the global trends, it turned out that in the near future problems with the lack of this resource, and hence the rise in prices for it, are possible in other, more successful regions.

According to a report made at the 8th World Water Forum in Brazil, humanity consumes about 4,6 thousand cubic kilometers of water per year, which is almost a quarter more than 30 years ago. If the trend continues, already in 2050 more than 5 billion inhabitants of the planet will feel the lack of drinking water^[6].

Scientists suggest that due to climate change, rapid population growth and urbanization, water problems in certain regions will only get worse. According to WHO, by 2025, half of the world’s population will live in areas with problems with water supply.^[7].

China is one of the first to be at risk. Due to the rapid development of industry in China, nature is suffering – forests are cut down, water bodies are polluted. Ecologists say that if this continues, a catastrophe cannot be avoided, and with it, an increase in the price of drinking water. Although Brazil is the world leader in fresh water reserves, but the irrational work of water supply companies has led to the fact that poor residents of the country also experience a serious shortage of this resource. Recent studies show that Sierra Leoneans are also experiencing shortages of drinking water. Citizens are provided with quality drinking by 84%, living in rural areas – only by 32%.

According to experts from the UN University, due to climate change, the cost of supplying water to problematic regions by 2030 could reach 1,67 trillion euros^[8], which will undoubtedly affect the cost of this product.

Is there a solution to the problem

Lack of proper sanitation and access to quality water is the second leading cause of child death worldwide. Every year, poor water quality causes the death of about 315 children.^[9].

The problems associated with the supply of drinking water have been dealt with by the UN since 1977. As a result of the work done, 1,3 billion inhabitants of the world’s poorest countries received access to clean drinking water^[1]. But the problem is still not solved.

More than 75% of the world’s people without access to piped water live in rural areas, according to Guangzhe Chen, Senior Director of the World Bank’s Global Water Practice. Of these, only 20% can enjoy “improved sanitation”. As for urban residents, poor families are 3 times less likely to use the benefits of running water than residents of prosperous areas^[10].

However, experts also acknowledge that in some countries, tap water can be even more dangerous than pond water. In Bangladesh, for example, almost 80% of the water mains are contaminated with E. coli, which means people still have to buy drinking water.

Another danger was announced in July 2019 by the international organization Global Footprint Network. Its founder Mathis Wackernagel stated that modern humanity uses natural resources, including water, 1,75 times faster than they can be renewed.^[11]. If people do not change their approach to resource use, water prices will only rise.

For most of us, to drink a glass of water or take a shower, all we have to do is turn on the faucet. In poor countries, people usually do not have this opportunity. They either have to buy overpriced drinks from suppliers or use untreated water from rivers, ponds or other sources. But experts admit that if the problem with the water supply of the poorest countries is solved, the prices for the resource in them will be able to approach the parameters characteristic of the developed countries of the world.

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