Malawi vs Zambia: Access to basic handwashing facilities in urban vs. rural areas
Malawi
27.9%
in 2024
Zambia
28.7%
in 2024
Malawi rank
97th
Zambia rank
96th
Access to basic handwashing facilities in urban vs. rural areas over time
- Malawi
- Zambia
How they compare
Zambia currently reports 28.7% against 27.9% in Malawi, a difference of 0.8%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 17 shared years of data; in 2008 it was Malawi ahead.
Malawi ranks 97th and Zambia ranks 96th of 113 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Malawi averaged higher in 2 and Zambia in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malawi | Zambia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 30.9% | 28.7% | 2.1% | Malawi |
| 2010s | 29.6% | 28.7% | 0.8% | Malawi |
| 2020s | 28.0% | 28.7% | 0.7% | Zambia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher access to basic handwashing facilities in urban vs. rural areas, Malawi or Zambia?
- Zambia, at 28.7% against 27.9% in Malawi as of 2024.
- What is the difference in access to basic handwashing facilities in urban vs. rural areas between Malawi and Zambia?
- 0.8%, with Zambia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and Zambia?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2008 to 2024.
- How do Malawi and Zambia rank globally for access to basic handwashing facilities in urban vs. rural areas?
- Malawi ranks 97th and Zambia ranks 96th of 113 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 Access to basic handwashing facilities in urban vs. rural areas. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Proportion of people with access to a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home.