People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Iraq

Iraq: People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities was 305,136 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
305,136 people
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
72nd
of 175 countries
All-time high
2.78 million people
in 2000
All-time low
288,641 people
in 2020
Years of data
25
2000–2024

People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Iraq, 2000–2024

500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M2.5M3.0M2000201220242000: 2.8M people2001: 2.7M people2002: 2.7M people2003: 2.6M people2004: 2.5M people2005: 2.5M people2006: 2.3M people2007: 2.1M people2008: 2.0M people2009: 1.9M people2010: 1.8M people2011: 1.7M people2012: 1.6M people2013: 1.5M people2014: 1.4M people2015: 1.2M people2016: 1.0M people2017: 867.0k people2018: 681.1k people2019: 488.1k people2020: 288.6k people2021: 292.9k people2022: 297.2k people2023: 301.4k people2024: 305.1k 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 in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Iraq is 305,136 people, measured in 2024.

The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and down 77.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Iraq peaked at 2.78 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 288,641 people, in 2020.

That places Iraq 72nd out of 175 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 2.42 million people 1.95 million people 2.78 million people 10
2010s 1.24 million people 488,139 people 1.84 million people 10
2020s 297,067 people 288,641 people 305,136 people 5

Countries ranked near Iraq

  1. 69 Mongolia 366,299 people compare
  2. 70 Panama 361,254 people compare
  3. 71 Ecuador 352,323 people compare
  4. 73 Georgia 279,597 people compare
  5. 74 Turkey 247,527 people compare
  6. 75 Moldova 238,703 people compare

See the full ranking of 175 places →

More reference data data for Iraq

All data for Iraq →

Frequently asked questions

What is people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Iraq?
People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Iraq was 305,136 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 in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Iraq?
The highest recorded value was 2.78 million people in 2000.
What is the lowest people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Iraq?
The lowest recorded value was 288,641 people in 2020.
How does Iraq rank for people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities?
Iraq ranks 72nd out of 175 countries with data for 2024.
Is people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in Iraq?
Over the last ten years it is down 77.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Iraq 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 in rural areas 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 in rural areas 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
175 places, 4,269 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

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