Tap water in North Macedonia

Generally safe to drink

The WHO and UNICEF put safely managed drinking water within reach of 86% of people in North Macedonia. National figures describe a country, not the tap in front of you.

What the sources say

WHO / UNICEF JMP

86% of the population has safely managed drinking water, meaning it is free from contamination at the point of use.

Coverage splits by where you are: 99% in urban areas against 69% in rural ones.

US CDC Travelers' Health

Advises travellers that tap water is generally not safe to drink in North Macedonia.

Numbeo

57.44/100 on the water drinkability and accessibility index, which Numbeo reads as “Moderate”. This one is crowdsourced from residents rather than measured.

Lonely Planet

Tap water is generally safe to drink in North Macedonia (you'll see plenty of public fountains around Skopje and in rural villages), but check with locals before filling up your water bottle, just to be on the safe side.

Safe nationally still means ask locally. Older buildings can carry lead or copper pipework, and a single street can differ from the network feeding it. If you are staying somewhere old, ask your host.

What bottled water costs you here

Drinking tap water instead of bottled would save one adult about 307$ a year in North Macedonia, and keep several hundred plastic bottles out of circulation.

Work out your own saving

Places in North Macedonia

Water quality is local. These places have their own readings.

Elsewhere in Europe