Ethiopia vs Nigeria: People not using safely managed sanitation facilities
Ethiopia
121.43 million people
in 2024
Nigeria
157.74 million people
in 2024
Ethiopia rank
4th
Nigeria rank
3rd
People not using safely managed sanitation facilities over time
- Ethiopia
- Nigeria
How they compare
Nigeria currently reports 157.74 million people against 121.43 million people in Ethiopia, a difference of 36.31 million people.
That makes Nigeria's figure about 1.3 times Ethiopia's.
Across all 25 years both countries report, Nigeria has been ahead every year.
Ethiopia ranks 4th and Nigeria ranks 3rd of 150 countries.
Nigeria has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ethiopia | Nigeria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 74.87 million people | 111.82 million people | 36.95 million people | Nigeria |
| 2010s | 96.93 million people | 137.37 million people | 40.44 million people | Nigeria |
| 2020s | 115.98 million people | 153.22 million people | 37.23 million people | Nigeria |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people not using safely managed sanitation facilities, Ethiopia or Nigeria?
- Nigeria, at 157.74 million people against 121.43 million people in Ethiopia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people not using safely managed sanitation facilities between Ethiopia and Nigeria?
- 36.31 million people, with Nigeria ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and Nigeria?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do Ethiopia and Nigeria rank globally for people not using safely managed sanitation facilities?
- Ethiopia ranks 4th and Nigeria ranks 3rd 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.