Costa Rica vs El Salvador: People not using safely managed sanitation facilities
Costa Rica
3.78 million people
in 2024
El Salvador
4.06 million people
in 2024
Costa Rica rank
63rd
El Salvador rank
62nd
People not using safely managed sanitation facilities over time
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
How they compare
El Salvador currently reports 4.06 million people against 3.78 million people in Costa Rica, a difference of 276,690 people.
That makes El Salvador's figure about 1.1 times Costa Rica's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was El Salvador ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 63rd and El Salvador ranks 62nd of 150 countries.
El Salvador has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | El Salvador | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.24 million people | 3.34 million people | 96,247 people | El Salvador |
| 2010s | 3.67 million people | 3.69 million people | 27,531 people | El Salvador |
| 2020s | 3.78 million people | 3.97 million people | 191,934 people | El Salvador |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people not using safely managed sanitation facilities, Costa Rica or El Salvador?
- El Salvador, at 4.06 million people against 3.78 million people in Costa Rica as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people not using safely managed sanitation facilities between Costa Rica and El Salvador?
- 276,690 people, with El Salvador ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and El Salvador?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do Costa Rica and El Salvador rank globally for people not using safely managed sanitation facilities?
- Costa Rica ranks 63rd and El Salvador ranks 62nd of 150 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 not using safely managed sanitation facilities. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
People not using safely managed sanitation services might practice open defecation, use unimproved sanitation facilities, or use improved facilities that do not safely manage human waste.