Global access to clean and safe drinking water is examined through analysis of data from the Global Burden of Disease and other international sources. The findings reveal that one in four people worldwide still lacks access to safe water, leading to over a million deaths each year, primarily from infectious diseases. The burden is heaviest in low-income countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia. Progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6.1—universal access to safe and affordable drinking water by 2030—has been slow, with persistent disparities between urban and rural areas and across income levels.