Japan vs South Korea: Share of population using safely managed sanitation
Japan
99.2%
in 2024
South Korea
99.3%
in 2024
Japan rank
9th
South Korea rank
8th
Share of population using safely managed sanitation over time
- Japan
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 99.3% against 99.2% in Japan, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Japan ahead.
Japan ranks 9th and South Korea ranks 8th of 150 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 2 and South Korea in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 97.1% | 89.6% | 7.5% | Japan |
| 2010s | 98.5% | 95.6% | 2.9% | Japan |
| 2020s | 99.1% | 99.2% | 0.1% | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of population using safely managed sanitation, Japan or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 99.3% against 99.2% in Japan as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of population using safely managed sanitation between Japan and South Korea?
- 0.1%, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Korea?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do Japan and South Korea rank globally for share of population using safely managed sanitation?
- Japan ranks 9th and South Korea ranks 8th 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 Share of population using safely managed sanitation. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Proportion of people using improved sanitation facilities that are not shared with other households and where excreta are safely disposed in situ or transported and treated off-site.