People not using improved sanitation facilities in Bhutan

Bhutan: People not using improved sanitation facilities was 20,708 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
20,708 people
Change on year
down 38.7%
World rank
123rd
of 232 countries
All-time high
303,638 people
in 2001
All-time low
20,708 people
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

People not using improved sanitation facilities in Bhutan, 2000–2024

0100.0k200.0k300.0k2000201220242000: 299.7k people2001: 303.6k people2002: 294.5k people2003: 284.8k people2004: 274.4k people2005: 263.2k people2006: 251.7k people2007: 239.7k people2008: 227.5k people2009: 215.1k people2010: 202.6k people2011: 190.0k people2012: 177.4k people2013: 164.7k people2014: 151.9k people2015: 139.0k people2016: 126.0k people2017: 112.9k people2018: 99.6k people2019: 86.3k people2020: 73.1k people2021: 60.0k people2022: 46.8k people2023: 33.8k people2024: 20.7k people

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

Analysis

Bhutan recorded 20,708 people for people not using improved sanitation facilities in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is down 38.7% on the previous year and down 86.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people not using improved sanitation facilities in Bhutan peaked at 303,638 people in 2001 and was at its lowest, 20,708 people, in 2024.

That places Bhutan 123rd out of 232 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 265,417 people 215,078 people 303,638 people 10
2010s 145,037 people 86,319 people 202,575 people 10
2020s 46,874 people 20,708 people 73,103 people 5

Countries ranked near Bhutan

  1. 120 United Arab Emirates 22,977 people compare
  2. 121 Greenland 20,996 people compare
  3. 122 Belarus 20,975 people compare
  4. 124 Trinidad and Tobago 20,081 people compare
  5. 125 French Guiana 18,106 people compare
  6. 126 Slovenia 17,113 people compare

See the full ranking of 232 places →

More reference data data for Bhutan

All data for Bhutan →

Frequently asked questions

What is people not using improved sanitation facilities in Bhutan?
People not using improved sanitation facilities in Bhutan was 20,708 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 not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Bhutan?
The highest recorded value was 303,638 people in 2001.
What is the lowest people not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Bhutan?
The lowest recorded value was 20,708 people in 2024.
How does Bhutan rank for people not using improved sanitation facilities?
Bhutan ranks 123rd out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
Is people not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in Bhutan?
Over the last ten years it is down 86.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Bhutan 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 not using improved 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 not using improved 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

If no improved sanitation facility is available, people might practice open defecation or use unimproved sanitation facilities.