People using at least basic sanitation services, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): People using at least basic sanitation services, rural was 27.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
People using at least basic sanitation services, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of rural population.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) recorded 27.1% for people using at least basic sanitation services, rural in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 27.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people using at least basic sanitation services, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 27.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 15.0%, in 2000.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 42nd out of 47 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
People using at least basic sanitation services, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 15.0% | — |
| 2001 | 15.2% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 15.5% | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 15.9% | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 16.3% | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 16.7% | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 17.2% | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 17.7% | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 18.2% | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 18.8% | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 19.3% | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 19.6% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 20.2% | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 20.7% | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 21.3% | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 21.8% | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 22.4% | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 23.0% | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 23.6% | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 24.1% | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 24.7% | +2.3% |
| 2021 | 25.3% | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 26.0% | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 26.6% | +2.3% |
| 2024 | 27.1% | +1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16.7% | 15.0% | 18.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.6% | 19.3% | 24.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.0% | 24.7% | 27.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- 39 Hungary 98.6% compare
- 40 Palau 98.4% compare
- 41 United States of America 98.4% compare
- 42 Norway 98.3% compare
- 43 Greece 98.1% compare
- 44 Costa Rica 98.1% compare
- 45 Azerbaijan 98.0% compare
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per capita 0.0235 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.024 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 3.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, male, annual growth rate 3.97 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per capita 0.0195 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate 3.23 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, annual growth rate 3.83 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people using at least basic sanitation services, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- People using at least basic sanitation services, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 27.1% in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest people using at least basic sanitation services, rural recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 27.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest people using at least basic sanitation services, rural recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.0% in 2000.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for people using at least basic sanitation services, rural?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 42nd out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is people using at least basic sanitation services, rural rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of People using at least basic sanitation services, rural (% of rural population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The percentage of people using at least basic sanitation services, that is, improved sanitation facilities that are not shared with other households. This indicator encompasses both people using basic sanitation services as well as those using safely managed sanitation services. Improved sanitation facilities include flush/pour flush to piped sewer systems, septic tanks or pit latrines; ventilated improved pit latrines, composting toilets or pit latrines with slabs.