People with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries): People with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water was 36.3% in 2024. ▬ Flat
People with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), 2011–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of urban population.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) recorded 36.3% for people with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water in 2024. That is the highest value across all 14 years on record.
The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 36.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 33.4%, in 2011.
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 27th of 31 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
People with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | % of urban population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 33.4% | — |
| 2012 | 35.7% | +7.1% |
| 2013 | 36.1% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 35.2% | -2.5% |
| 2015 | 35.2% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 35.6% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 35.3% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 35.5% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 35.7% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 35.8% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 34.5% | -3.6% |
| 2022 | 34.7% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 35.9% | +3.5% |
| 2024 | 36.3% | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 35.3% | 33.4% | 36.1% | 9 |
| 2020s | 35.4% | 34.5% | 36.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 3.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.024 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, annual growth rate 3.23 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0282 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, annual growth rate 2.8 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per capita 0.0287 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 30-34, female, annual growth rate 2.69 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- People with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) was 36.3% 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 with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 36.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest people with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.4% in 2011.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for people with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 27th out of 31 groups with data for 2024.
- Is people with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 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 with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water, urban (% of urban population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.