India vs Sub-Saharan Africa: People with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water
People with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water over time
- India
- Sub-Saharan Africa
How they compare
India currently reports 85.9% against 18.1% in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 67.8%.
That makes India's figure about 4.8 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.
Across all 14 years both countries report, India has been ahead every year.
India ranks 31st and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 28th of 113 countries.
India has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | India | Sub-Saharan Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 52.4% | 15.1% | 37.3% | India |
| 2020s | 80.4% | 16.9% | 63.5% | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water, India or Sub-Saharan Africa?
- India, at 85.9% against 18.1% in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water between India and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 67.8%, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for India and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 14 years are reported by both, from 2011 to 2024.
- How do India and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for people with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water?
- India ranks 31st and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 28th of 113 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO), published as People with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water, rural (% of rural population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The percentage of people living in households that have a handwashing facility with soap and water available on the premises. Handwashing facilities may be fixed or mobile and include a sink with tap water, buckets with taps, tippy-taps, and jugs or basins designated for handwashing. Soap includes bar soap, liquid soap, powder detergent, and soapy water but does not include ash, soil, sand or other handwashing agents.