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hand pump, dug well, spring, bottled water, filtration plant, and tanker/truck/water bearer. The
detailed results are given in Table 1.
Tap water refers to a delivery system in which water is transported through a pipeline network
from the collection point to the user, usually after treatment. In
urban areas, water is typically supplied through household
pipelines and stored in underground tanks, from where it is pumped
to smaller overhead tanks for daily use. Such arrangements are
classified as a tap water supply.
Hand pump is a manually operated device used to draw water
from a borehole. Dug wells are traditional water sources and may
be of two types: open wells or closed wells . The remaining
categories, such as spring, bottled water, filtration plant, and
tanker/truck/water bearer, are self-explanatory. Comparison of the
main findings in this regard is presented in Figure 6.2.
Between 2018–19 and 2024–25, Pakistan recorded a gradual improvement in access to the main
source of drinking water, though regional disparities persist. Nationally, the share of households
using tap water increased from 18 to 22 percent, mainly due to better coverage in rural areas 11 to
14 percent. Reliance on hand pumps showed a slight decline from 24 to 22 percent, while access
to filtration plants increased slightly from 9 percent in 2018-19 to 10 percent in 2024-25. Use of
motorized water sources remained unchanged at 35 percent over the same period.
At the provincial level, use of tap water in Punjab shows an increasing behaviour from (12 to 15
percent) and Balochistan (28 to 40 percent), remained nearly unchanged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
(24percent), but declined significantly in Sindh (42 to 31percent) because of reduced urban access.
Dependence on hand pumps remained high in Sindh (34 percent) and Punjab (20 percent), stable
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (12 percent), and slightly higher in Balochistan (6 to 8 percent). Filtration
plant usage showed a m arginal decrease in Punjab (from 15 to 14 percent), a marginal
improvement in Sindh (from 1 to 3 percent) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (from 0 to 6 percent), while
remaining negligible in Balochistan.
Overall, the findings indicate gradual enhancement in piped water availability and some
progress in rural water access, though disparities across provinces persist. Urban infrastructure
22%
22%
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HOUSING & WASH
pressure in Sindh and limited filtration coverage in Balochistan point to the need for continued
investment in safe and sustainable drinking water systems.
Figure 6.2: Main Source of Drinking Water
While analyzing the main source of drinking water by quintiles the highest quintile in Pakistan
primarily uses Motor Pumps (35 percent), and Tap Water (28 percent) whereas the lowest quintile
mainly depends on Hand Pumps 44 percent (Table 6.1).
Table6.1: Main Source of Drinking Water by Quintile Group
1st
Quintile
2nd Quintile
3rd
Quintile
4th Quintile
5th Quintile
Total
Tap Water
14
17
21
24
28
22
Hand Pump
44
30
22
15
9
22
Motor Pump
28
34
36
38
35
35
Bottled Water
0
2
2
3
7
3
Tanker//Water Bearer
2
4
5
5
5
4
Other
12
12
15
15
16
14
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
22
22
35
2
4
10
6
18
24
35
3
4
9
7
2024-25
2018-19
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HOUSING & WASH
These findings highlight a clear economic and locational gap, with wealthier households having
better access to improved water sources, while poorer households continue to rely on traditional
sources like hand pumps.
6.2.1 Improved Source of Drinking Water
Improved drinking water sources, as defined under SDG 6.16, are those that are designed and
constructed to protect water from external contamination, particularly faecal pollution. These
sources include piped water, hand pumps, motor pumps, protected wells, protected springs, tankers
or water bearers , and filtrati on plants. Bottled water is also classified as an improved source.
Overall, these sources are engineered or protected in ways that significantly reduce the risk of
contamination.
In Pakistan, 97 percent of households have access to an improved source of drinking water. Access is slightly higher in urban areas , at 99 percent, compared to rural areas, at 95 percent . At the provincial level, Punjab reports the highest access at 99 percent, followed by Sindh at 97 percent. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, access stands at 90 percent (Table 6.2).
6 unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/?Text=&Goal=6&Target=6.1
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6.2.2 Payment for Water As water is an essential necessity, a considerable proportion of households incur costs to obtain safe and improved quality water services. Overall, 20 percent of households reported paying for water in 2024-25, compared to 22 percent in 2018-19, indicating a slight decline in paid water use. This reduction may be linked to higher water charges in 2024-25, making paid water sources less affordable for many households. A strong urban–rural disparity persists. In urban areas, 35 percent of households paid for water in 2024-25, while only 10 percent did so in rural areas. In 2018-19, the corresponding figures were 41 percent and 11 percent, respectively—showing that payment for water has declined across both regions (Table 2). At the national level, payment varies substantially by water source. Households using bottled water and tanker/truck supplies show the highest payment rates (over 88 percent), whereas those relying on hand pumps and motorized pumps rarely pay for water (1–4 percent). The average monthly amount paid has increased sharply—from Rs. 505 in 2018-19 to Rs. 2,421 in 2024-25, indicating rising costs for those dependent on paid water sources. Table 6.2: Percentage of Households with Improved Source of Drinking Water Urban Rural Total Pakistan 99 95 97 Punjab 99 99 99 Sindh 99 93 97 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 98 87 90 Balochistan 98 87 90
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6.2.3 Installation of Water Delivery System
In Pakistan, households itself remain the main providers of drinking water, although their share
has declined to 48 percent in 2024-25 from 55 percent in 2018-19 (Figure 6.3). This decrease is
largely due to an increase in installation
and maintenance costs for private water
sources,
which
have
led
some
households to rely on community or
private suppliers. The role of local
government as a water provider has
also decreased from 27 percent to 24
percent—mainly because many public
water
schemes
became
non-
functional/not maintained. Conversely,
non-government
sources
have
expanded from 17 percent to 26
percent, particularly in rural areas, as
NGOs, private vendors, and community
initiatives have stepped in to meet water needs where official systems are weak. The detailed
results are presented in Table 3.
6.2.4 Distance to Drinking Water (A Time-Based Assessment)
Table 6.3 presents the distance to drinking water sources for 2024–25, highlighting
disparities in accessibility across Pakistan. The data indicate that the majority of households have
access to drinking water within their premises, particularly those using tap water, motor pumps,
or hand pumps. In most parts of the country, households typically require less than 15 minutes
round-trip to obtain water. However, longer collection times are observed where households rely
on external sources such as dug wells, springs, rivers, or filtration plants, especially in remote and
water-scarce areas. These patterns underline the need for targeted improvements in infrastructure
for communities dependent on distant or unreliable water sources.
The table also provides the national distribution of access to drinking water. Overall, 65 percent
of households in Pakistan have drinking water inside their homes, 23 percent can access it within
15 minutes round-trip, and about 12 percent spend more than 15 minutes round-trip fetching
Figure 6.3: Households by Water Delivery System
24
26
48
1
27
17
55
1
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
2024-25
2018-19
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HOUSING & WASH
water. These findings suggest that while most households can obtain water relatively easily, those
relying on unsafe or external sources face longer collection times and more limited access to safe
drinking water. The detailed results are provided in Table 4.
Sanitation
Sanitation means keeping our surroundings clean and managing liquid and solid waste
properly through collection, treatment, and safe disposal. It plays an important role in protecting
public health by preventing the spread of diseases and keeping water sources safe from
contamination. Proper treatment and reuse of wastewater also help reduce pollution and save
water.
In recent years, Pakistan has focused on improving sanitation through several policies and
programs, such as the National Sanitation Policy, and Clean Green Pakistan Movement (2018).
These efforts aim to make sanitation systems more sustainable by reducing waste, reusing
resources, and encouraging people to adopt cleaner habits. The URAAN Pakistan Programme
(2024-29) further strengthens these national initiatives by emphasizing environment-friendly and
climate-resilient sanitation practices under its sustainability and resilience pillars. It promotes safe
waste management, behavioural change towards hygiene, and investment in inclusive sanitation
infrastructure. To achieve long-term results, sanitation systems must continue to adopt approaches
that safeguard public health while protecting the environment.
Table 6.3 : Distance to Source of Drinking Water
Source
Inside
Household
1-15 Min
16-30 Min
31-45 Min
46-60 Min
60 + Min
Tap Water
83
12
3
0
0
0
Hand Pump
64
19
14
2
1
1
Motor Pump
86
11
2
0
0
0
Dug well
64
12
11
6
3
5
Others
7
62
22
3
2
3
Total
65
23
9
1
1
1
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Sanitation is a key indicator under Sustainable Development “Goal 6” (SDG 6.2.1)7 which
focuses on ensuring access to adequate and equitable sanitation and
hygiene for all. A sanitation system encompasses proper sewerage
connections, effective drainage, and the safe disposal of wastewater.
Inadequate sanitation infrastructure can lead to environmental
pollution and the spread of waterborne diseases. Therefore, to protect
and promote public health, it is essential to ensure the availability of safe and efficient systems for
the collection and disposal of human waste, complemented by the promotion of good hygiene
practices.
In the survey, information was collected regarding the type of toilet facility used by each
household. A toilet is defined as a fixture used for defecation and urination, comprising a bowl
with a hinged seat, connected to a waste pipe , and equipped with a flushing mechanism . Toilets
are categorized into three groups: Flush, Non-flush, and No toilet. The Improved Toilet (Flush)
category includes facilities such as : Flush Connected to Sewerage, Flush Connected to Septic
Tank, and Flush Connected to Pit. Flush Connected Open Drain and Composting Toilet.
For Pakistan as a whole, access to flush toilets increased from 80 percent in 2018-19 to 89
percent in 2024-25, mainly due to a significant improvement in rural
areas coverage expended from 70 percent to 82 percent. In contrast,
urban areas already had nearly universal access, remaining stable at
98 percent in both periods. The share of households without any toilet
facility declined from 12 to 7 percent, indicating overall progress in
sanitation coverage across the country (Figure 6.4).
In the provincial snapshot, sanitation facilities showed steady improvement between 2018-19
and 2024-25. In Punjab, flush toilet usage increased from 87 to 94 percent, driven mainly by rural
progress (80 to 91 percent), while urban access remained nearly universal at 99 percent.
Households without toilets dropped sharply from 12 to 5 percent, indicating broad sanitation gains
across the province. In Sindh, overall access increases from 70 to 78 percent, with urban areas
maintaining high coverage (9 8 to 96 percent) and rural areas increasing from 37 to 57 percent.
7 unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/?Text=&Goal=6&Target=6.2