Water Affordability
Indicator Phrasing
English: % of households capable of purchasing the safe water they need
French: % de ménages capables d'acheter l'eau dont ils ont besoin
Portuguese: % de agregados familiares capazes de comprar a água segura de que necessitam
Arabic: النسبة المئوية للأسر القادرة على شراء المياه الصالحة للشرب التي تحتاجها
What is its purpose?
The indicator measures the proportion of households capable of paying for the minimum amount of water their members need. Water affordability is a crucial pre-condition for ensuring adequate access to safe water.
How to Collect and Analyse the Required Data
Collect the following data by conducting individual interviews with a representative sample of your target group members:
RECOMMENDED SURVEY QUESTIONS (Q) AND POSSIBLE ANSWERS (A)
(ask only if the respondent uses a water source where water is sold)
Q1: With the current price of the water sold at [specify the water source], can you afford to purchase the minimum amount of water your family needs?
A1:
1) yes, always
2) yes, most of the time
3) usually not
Q2: If the water was cheaper, would you buy more of it?
A2: yes / no
NOTE: The second question is included to crosscheck the first answer: If a household claims not being able to afford the minimum amount of water it needs (the answer to Q1 is “usually not”), the answer to the second question should be “yes”.
Calculate the indicator's value by dividing the number of households capable of purchasing the minimum amount of water they need by the number of interviewed respondents and multiplying the result by 100.
Disaggregate by
Disaggregate the data by wealth.