India vs Nigeria: People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities

India

97.69 million people

in 2024

Nigeria

61.74 million people

in 2024

India rank

1st

Nigeria rank

3rd

People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities over time

India currently reports 97.69 million people against 61.74 million people in Nigeria, a difference of 35.96 million people.

That makes India's figure about 1.6 times Nigeria's.

Across all 25 years both countries report, India has been ahead every year.

India ranks 1st and Nigeria ranks 3rd of 175 countries.

Indicator: People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities
Unit: people
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 175 places, 4,269 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

If no improved sanitation facility is available, people might practice open defecation or use unimproved sanitation facilities.