Ethiopia vs Nigeria: Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas
Ethiopia
20.60 million people
in 2024
Nigeria
32.68 million people
in 2024
Ethiopia rank
3rd
Nigeria rank
2nd
Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas over time
- Ethiopia
- Nigeria
How they compare
Nigeria currently reports 32.68 million people against 20.60 million people in Ethiopia, a difference of 12.08 million people.
That makes Nigeria's figure about 1.6 times Ethiopia's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Ethiopia ahead.
Ethiopia ranks 3rd and Nigeria ranks 2nd of 175 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Ethiopia averaged higher in 2 and Nigeria in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ethiopia | Nigeria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 44.91 million people | 26.75 million people | 18.16 million people | Ethiopia |
| 2010s | 36.34 million people | 30.49 million people | 5.85 million people | Ethiopia |
| 2020s | 24.59 million people | 32.35 million people | 7.76 million people | Nigeria |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher sanitation facilities usage in rural areas, Ethiopia or Nigeria?
- Nigeria, at 32.68 million people against 20.60 million people in Ethiopia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in sanitation facilities usage in rural areas between Ethiopia and Nigeria?
- 12.08 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 sanitation facilities usage in rural areas?
- Ethiopia ranks 3rd and Nigeria ranks 2nd of 175 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 Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Open defecation includes defecating in fields, forests, bushes, bodies of water or other open spaces, not using any sanitation facilities.