In real terms, the world pays less for its water than a decade ago. With an average annual global increase of 3.2% since 2011, average combined water and waste-water tariffs have grown slightly below global inflation (around 3.3% per year since 2011). However, COVID-19 is largely to blame for the growth in tariffs failing to match inflation over our ten-year period. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2011 and 2019 was in fact slightly higher than inflation, although only by 0.2% (see figure, P57). This means tariffs still fall short of what is covering the costs of production, let alone supporting the increased investment required to tackle ageing infrastructure, meet SDG6 goals and build resilience to climate change.
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