People not using improved sanitation facilities in Rwanda
Rwanda: People not using improved sanitation facilities was 206,206 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People not using improved sanitation facilities in Rwanda, 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
Rwanda recorded 206,206 people for people not using improved sanitation facilities in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 47.7% on the previous year and down 91.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using improved sanitation facilities in Rwanda peaked at 3.98 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 206,206 people, in 2024.
Rwanda ranks 87th of 232 countries on this measure, 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 Rwanda, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 3.98 million people | — |
| 2001 | 3.82 million people | -3.9% |
| 2002 | 3.68 million people | -3.6% |
| 2003 | 3.59 million people | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 3.52 million people | -2.1% |
| 2005 | 3.44 million people | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 3.35 million people | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 3.25 million people | -2.9% |
| 2008 | 3.15 million people | -3.2% |
| 2009 | 3.03 million people | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 2.91 million people | -4.1% |
| 2011 | 2.77 million people | -4.6% |
| 2012 | 2.63 million people | -5.2% |
| 2013 | 2.48 million people | -5.8% |
| 2014 | 2.32 million people | -6.5% |
| 2015 | 2.14 million people | -7.4% |
| 2016 | 1.96 million people | -8.5% |
| 2017 | 1.77 million people | -9.8% |
| 2018 | 1.57 million people | -11.4% |
| 2019 | 1.35 million people | -13.6% |
| 2020 | 1.13 million people | -16.5% |
| 2021 | 895,601 people | -20.8% |
| 2022 | 650,094 people | -27.4% |
| 2023 | 393,965 people | -39.4% |
| 2024 | 206,206 people | -47.7% |
Rwanda compared with similar countries
- Rwanda's 206,206 people is below the median for low income countries, which is 7.92 million people, 3% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Rwanda's 206,206 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.36 million people, 4% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where People not using improved sanitation facilities in Rwanda changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | -47.7% | 393,965 people | 206,206 people |
| 2023 | -39.4% | 650,094 people | 393,965 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.48 million people | 3.03 million people | 3.98 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.19 million people | 1.35 million people | 2.91 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 655,307 people | 206,206 people | 1.13 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
More reference data data for Rwanda
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2282 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.9517 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.38 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1223 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.38 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.7651 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.9517 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 4.27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 6.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.666 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people not using improved sanitation facilities in Rwanda?
- People not using improved sanitation facilities in Rwanda was 206,206 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 Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 3.98 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 206,206 people in 2024.
- How does Rwanda rank for people not using improved sanitation facilities?
- Rwanda ranks 87th out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is down 91.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Rwanda 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.