People not using improved sanitation facilities in Nepal

Nepal: People not using improved sanitation facilities was 598,887 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
598,887 people
Change on year
down 58.4%
World rank
69th
of 232 countries
All-time high
18.38 million people
in 2000
All-time low
598,887 people
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

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

05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M2000201220242000: 18.4M people2001: 17.8M people2002: 17.3M people2003: 16.7M people2004: 16.1M people2005: 15.5M people2006: 14.8M people2007: 14.1M people2008: 13.4M people2009: 12.6M people2010: 11.9M people2011: 11.1M people2012: 10.3M people2013: 9.4M people2014: 8.6M people2015: 7.8M people2016: 7.0M people2017: 6.2M people2018: 5.4M people2019: 4.7M people2020: 3.9M people2021: 3.1M people2022: 2.3M people2023: 1.4M people2024: 598.9k people

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for people not using improved sanitation facilities in Nepal is 598,887 people, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 58.4% on the previous year and down 93.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people not using improved sanitation facilities in Nepal peaked at 18.38 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 598,887 people, in 2024.

Nepal ranks 69th of 232 countries on this measure, 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 15.68 million people 12.62 million people 18.38 million people 10
2010s 8.25 million people 4.65 million people 11.86 million people 10
2020s 2.27 million people 598,887 people 3.90 million people 5

Countries ranked near Nepal

  1. 66 Iraq 688,442 people compare
  2. 67 Laos 678,318 people compare
  3. 68 Gabon 608,406 people compare
  4. 70 Canada 561,210 people compare
  5. 71 Uzbekistan 504,262 people compare
  6. 72 Solomon Islands 486,802 people compare

See the full ranking of 232 places →

More reference data data for Nepal

All data for Nepal →

Frequently asked questions

What is people not using improved sanitation facilities in Nepal?
People not using improved sanitation facilities in Nepal was 598,887 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 Nepal?
The highest recorded value was 18.38 million people in 2000.
What is the lowest people not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Nepal?
The lowest recorded value was 598,887 people in 2024.
How does Nepal rank for people not using improved sanitation facilities?
Nepal ranks 69th out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
Is people not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in Nepal?
Over the last ten years it is down 93.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Nepal 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.