People using at least basic sanitation facilities in India

India: People using at least basic sanitation facilities was 1.21 billion people in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
1.21 billion people
Change on year
up 4.2%
World rank
2nd
of 232 countries
All-time high
1.21 billion people
in 2024
All-time low
155.13 million people
in 2000
Years of data
25
2000–2024

People using at least basic sanitation facilities in India, 2000–2024

250.0M500.0M750.0M1.0B1.2B2000201220242000: 155.1M people2001: 185.6M people2002: 219.1M people2003: 253.8M people2004: 289.7M people2005: 326.8M people2006: 364.9M people2007: 404.1M people2008: 444.3M people2009: 485.8M people2010: 528.7M people2011: 572.7M people2012: 617.9M people2013: 664.1M people2014: 711.1M people2015: 759.0M people2016: 808.0M people2017: 858.1M people2018: 908.9M people2019: 960.2M people2020: 1.0B people2021: 1.1B people2022: 1.1B people2023: 1.2B people2024: 1.2B people

Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.

Analysis

In 2024, people using at least basic sanitation facilities in India stood at 1.21 billion people. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.

That represents a change of up 4.2% on the previous year and up 70.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people using at least basic sanitation facilities in India peaked at 1.21 billion people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 155.13 million people, in 2000.

That places India 2nd out of 232 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 312.93 million people 155.13 million people 485.84 million people 10
2010s 738.87 million people 528.72 million people 960.24 million people 10
2020s 1.11 billion people 1.01 billion people 1.21 billion people 5

Countries ranked near India

  1. 1 China 1.40 billion people compare
  2. 3 United States 344.11 million people compare
  3. 4 Indonesia 250.04 million people compare
  4. 5 Brazil 195.89 million people compare

See the full ranking of 232 places →

More reference data data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is people using at least basic sanitation facilities in India?
People using at least basic sanitation facilities in India was 1.21 billion people in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest people using at least basic sanitation facilities recorded in India?
The highest recorded value was 1.21 billion people in 2024.
What is the lowest people using at least basic sanitation facilities recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 155.13 million people in 2000.
How does India rank for people using at least basic sanitation facilities?
India ranks 2nd out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
Is people using at least basic sanitation facilities rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is up 70.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this India data come from?
The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of People using at least basic sanitation facilities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
People using at least basic 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
232 places, 5,597 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

Number of people using improved sanitation facilities that are not shared with other households.