Afghanistan vs North Korea: People using at least basic sanitation facilities
Afghanistan
23.24 million people
in 2024
North Korea
22.41 million people
in 2023
Afghanistan rank
45th
North Korea rank
47th
People using at least basic sanitation facilities over time
- Afghanistan
- North Korea
How they compare
Afghanistan currently reports 23.24 million people against 22.41 million people in North Korea, a difference of 833,600 people.
Across all 22 years both countries report, North Korea has been ahead every year.
Afghanistan ranks 45th and North Korea ranks 47th of 232 countries.
North Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Afghanistan | North Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 7.15 million people | 18.51 million people | 11.36 million people | North Korea |
| 2010s | 13.81 million people | 20.75 million people | 6.95 million people | North Korea |
| 2020s | 20.55 million people | 22.27 million people | 1.72 million people | North Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people using at least basic sanitation facilities, Afghanistan or North Korea?
- Afghanistan, at 23.24 million people against 22.41 million people in North Korea as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people using at least basic sanitation facilities between Afghanistan and North Korea?
- 833,600 people, with Afghanistan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Afghanistan and North Korea?
- 22 years are reported by both, from 2002 to 2023.
- How do Afghanistan and North Korea rank globally for people using at least basic sanitation facilities?
- Afghanistan ranks 45th and North Korea ranks 47th of 232 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as People using at least basic sanitation facilities. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of people using improved sanitation facilities that are not shared with other households.