Water in figures
Why one litre matters — sourced, not asserted.
Worldwide
How many people it affects
These figures come from the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme and from the UN World Water Development Report. Each one carries its source and date so it stays verifiable.
2,2 Mrd.
People without safely managed drinking water
That is more than one person in four — 27 per cent of the world's population.
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) · as of 08/2026
3,5 Mrd.
People without safely managed sanitation
43 per cent of the world's population.
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) · as of 08/2026
2,0 Mrd.
People without a basic hygiene facility
Of those, 653 million have no handwashing facility at home at all.
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) · as of 08/2026
292 Mio.
People who walk more than 30 minutes to fetch water
Half an hour there, half an hour back — and then the water still has to be carried.
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) · as of 08/2026
9 %
of health care facilities worldwide have no water service
In fragile settings, 37 per cent of facilities lack a water service and 54 per cent lack basic hygiene facilities.
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) · as of 08/2026
~50 %
of the world's population experiences severe water scarcity at least part of the year
For at least part of the year.
UN-Weltwasserbericht (UNESCO) · as of 08/2026
Where the water goes
Of the fresh water withdrawn worldwide, households take the smallest share. Looking at your own shower therefore does not explain the global picture — but it is the part you actually control.
By far the largest share of global freshwater withdrawal.
UN-Weltwasserbericht (UNESCO) · as of 08/2026
The second-largest sector of withdrawal worldwide.
UN-Weltwasserbericht (UNESCO) · as of 08/2026
The smallest share — but the one growing fastest.
UN-Weltwasserbericht (UNESCO) · as of 08/2026
The shares are rounded and come from different survey years, which is why they add up to slightly more than one hundred per cent. The bars show the proportions, not an exact split.
Germany for comparison
Here water is reliably there, in good quality, around the clock. That is good fortune, not guilt. The interesting question is what we use it for — and how far the same amount can go when it is used deliberately.
121–125 L
Direct consumption per person per day
That is twelve full ten-litre canisters. Every day, for one person.
Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) und BDEW · as of 08/2026
99,4 %
Connection rate to the public drinking water supply
Almost everyone. The tap here is so ordinary that it barely registers.
Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) und BDEW · as of 08/2026
36 %
Bathing, showering, personal hygiene
Around 43.5 litres a day — the single largest item. This is exactly where these products come in.
Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) und BDEW · as of 08/2026
27 %
Toilet flushing
Around 33 litres of drinking water a day — more than many people have available for an entire day.
Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) und BDEW · as of 08/2026
4 %
Food and drink
Around 4.8 litres. That is the part we actually drink.
Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) und BDEW · as of 08/2026
What this has to do with these products
The largest single item in a German household is personal hygiene: around 43.5 litres a day. A WaSH Innovation shower set manages a full wash with roughly one litre, because the fine spray puts the water where it is needed instead of letting it run past the body.
The same principle that saves the tank in a van makes these sets useful wherever water has to be carried. That is exactly what the 1+1 model aims at: every set sold should bring a donated one with it.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from one of the following.
- WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP)
The authoritative global monitoring programme for drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, and the basis for reporting on UN Sustainable Development Goal 6.
- UN-Weltwasserbericht (UNESCO)
Published each year for World Water Day; sets out how the world's fresh water is used.
- Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) und BDEW
Figures on drinking water supply and per-person consumption in Germany.
The figures are taken from a compiled report, not from our own analysis of the primary sources. Before using them in press work or campaigns, check them against the then-current editions of the JMP, the UN World Water Development Report and Destatis.