North Korea vs Sierra Leone: People not using improved sanitation facilities
North Korea
3.84 million people
in 2023
Sierra Leone
3.50 million people
in 2024
North Korea rank
43rd
Sierra Leone rank
46th
People not using improved sanitation facilities over time
- North Korea
- Sierra Leone
How they compare
North Korea currently reports 3.84 million people against 3.50 million people in Sierra Leone, a difference of 345,390 people.
That makes North Korea's figure about 1.1 times Sierra Leone's.
Across all 22 years both countries report, North Korea has been ahead every year.
North Korea ranks 43rd and Sierra Leone ranks 46th of 232 countries.
North Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | North Korea | Sierra Leone | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4.70 million people | 3.39 million people | 1.31 million people | North Korea |
| 2010s | 4.19 million people | 3.56 million people | 626,670 people | North Korea |
| 2020s | 3.84 million people | 3.55 million people | 295,948 people | North Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people not using improved sanitation facilities, North Korea or Sierra Leone?
- North Korea, at 3.84 million people against 3.50 million people in Sierra Leone as of 2023.
- What is the difference in people not using improved sanitation facilities between North Korea and Sierra Leone?
- 345,390 people, with North Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and Sierra Leone?
- 22 years are reported by both, from 2002 to 2023.
- How do North Korea and Sierra Leone rank globally for people not using improved sanitation facilities?
- North Korea ranks 43rd and Sierra Leone ranks 46th of 232 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) β processed by Our World in Data, published as People not using improved sanitation facilities. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
If no improved sanitation facility is available, people might practice open defecation or use unimproved sanitation facilities.