People with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: 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, 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 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.
Compared with earlier readings it 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 peaked at 36.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 33.4%, in 2011.
Sub-Saharan Africa 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, 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
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Population ages 65 and above, total, annual growth rate 3.67 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male, annual growth rate 3.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male, per capita 0.0142 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, total, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (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, female, per capita 0.0181 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, annual growth rate 3.35 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- People with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water in Sub-Saharan Africa 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?
- 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?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.4% in 2011.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for people with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water?
- Sub-Saharan Africa 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?
- 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 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.
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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.