People not using improved sanitation facilities in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: People not using improved sanitation facilities was 45,009 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People not using improved sanitation facilities in Costa Rica, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 45,009 people for people not using improved sanitation facilities in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 9.8% on the previous year and down 53.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using improved sanitation facilities in Costa Rica peaked at 183,341 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 45,009 people, in 2024.
That places Costa Rica 114th out of 232 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People not using improved sanitation facilities in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 183,341 people | — |
| 2001 | 177,435 people | -3.2% |
| 2002 | 171,294 people | -3.5% |
| 2003 | 164,991 people | -3.7% |
| 2004 | 158,636 people | -3.9% |
| 2005 | 152,319 people | -4.0% |
| 2006 | 146,008 people | -4.1% |
| 2007 | 139,718 people | -4.3% |
| 2008 | 133,521 people | -4.4% |
| 2009 | 127,407 people | -4.6% |
| 2010 | 121,270 people | -4.8% |
| 2011 | 115,174 people | -5.0% |
| 2012 | 109,234 people | -5.2% |
| 2013 | 103,398 people | -5.3% |
| 2014 | 97,678 people | -5.5% |
| 2015 | 92,091 people | -5.7% |
| 2016 | 86,594 people | -6.0% |
| 2017 | 81,173 people | -6.3% |
| 2018 | 75,845 people | -6.6% |
| 2019 | 70,588 people | -6.9% |
| 2020 | 65,346 people | -7.4% |
| 2021 | 60,109 people | -8.0% |
| 2022 | 54,949 people | -8.6% |
| 2023 | 49,925 people | -9.1% |
| 2024 | 45,009 people | -9.8% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 45,009 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 428.55 people, 105.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 45,009 people is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 13,977 people, 3.2× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 155,467 people | 127,407 people | 183,341 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 95,304 people | 70,588 people | 121,270 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 55,067 people | 45,009 people | 65,346 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More reference data data for Costa Rica
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2987 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.406 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0167 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.3161 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.24 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 5.91 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0907 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people not using improved sanitation facilities in Costa Rica?
- People not using improved sanitation facilities in Costa Rica was 45,009 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 Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 183,341 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 45,009 people in 2024.
- How does Costa Rica rank for people not using improved sanitation facilities?
- Costa Rica ranks 114th out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 53.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica 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
If no improved sanitation facility is available, people might practice open defecation or use unimproved sanitation facilities.