People using safely managed sanitation services, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: People using safely managed sanitation services, rural was 21.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
People using safely managed sanitation services, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa, 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 recorded 21.1% for people using safely managed sanitation services, rural in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.3% on the previous year and up 21.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people using safely managed sanitation services, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 21.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 12.6%, in 2000.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 24th out of 26 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 safely managed sanitation services, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 12.6% | — |
| 2001 | 12.8% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 13.1% | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 13.4% | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 13.7% | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 14.1% | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 14.5% | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 14.9% | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 15.3% | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 15.7% | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 16.0% | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 16.3% | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 16.7% | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 17.0% | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 17.4% | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 17.8% | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 18.2% | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 18.6% | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 18.9% | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 19.3% | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 19.7% | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 20.1% | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 20.5% | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 20.8% | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 21.1% | +1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 14.0% | 12.6% | 15.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.6% | 16.0% | 19.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.4% | 19.7% | 21.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 21 Slovakia 76.2% compare
- 22 Lao People's Democratic Republic 72.7% compare
- 23 Honduras 72.4% compare
- 24 Paraguay 71.1% compare
- 25 Ireland 71.0% compare
- 26 Philippines 69.9% compare
- 27 Azerbaijan 68.5% compare
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Population ages 65-69, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per capita 0.0086 units per person (2025)
- Population, female, annual growth rate 2.45 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, total, per capita 0.0323 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, total, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, female, annual growth rate 3.61 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, total, annual growth rate 3.67 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male, per capita 0.0142 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people using safely managed sanitation services, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- People using safely managed sanitation services, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa was 21.1% 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 safely managed sanitation services, rural recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 21.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest people using safely managed sanitation services, rural recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.6% in 2000.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for people using safely managed sanitation services, rural?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 24th out of 26 groups with data for 2024.
- Is people using safely managed sanitation services, rural rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa 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 safely managed sanitation services, rural (% of rural population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The percentage of people using improved sanitation facilities that are not shared with other households and where excreta are safely disposed of in situ or transported and treated offsite. 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.