People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities was 0 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
0 people
World rank
141st
of 175 countries
All-time high
2.09 million people
in 2000
All-time low
0 people
in 2022
Years of data
25
2000–2024

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

0500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M2000201220242000: 2.1M people2001: 2.0M people2002: 1.9M people2003: 1.9M people2004: 1.8M people2005: 1.7M people2006: 1.6M people2007: 1.5M people2008: 1.4M people2009: 1.3M people2010: 1.2M people2011: 1.1M people2012: 1.0M people2013: 931.0k people2014: 831.4k people2015: 729.7k people2016: 626.0k people2017: 520.5k people2018: 413.1k people2019: 304.1k people2020: 193.7k people2021: 82.1k people2022: 0 people2023: 0 people2024: 0 people

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

Analysis

Sri Lanka recorded 0 people for people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is down 100.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Sri Lanka peaked at 2.09 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0 people, in 2022.

That places Sri Lanka 141st out of 175 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.

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

People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Sri Lanka, year by year

Annual values for People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Sri Lanka, 2000 to 2024.
Year people Change
2000 2.09 million people
2001 2.02 million people -3.1%
2002 1.95 million people -3.8%
2003 1.86 million people -4.4%
2004 1.78 million people -4.7%
2005 1.69 million people -5.0%
2006 1.60 million people -5.3%
2007 1.51 million people -5.7%
2008 1.41 million people -6.1%
2009 1.32 million people -6.7%
2010 1.22 million people -7.3%
2011 1.13 million people -7.9%
2012 1.03 million people -8.6%
2013 930,972 people -9.5%
2014 831,417 people -10.7%
2015 729,662 people -12.2%
2016 626,002 people -14.2%
2017 520,469 people -16.9%
2018 413,060 people -20.6%
2019 304,074 people -26.4%
2020 193,716 people -36.3%
2021 82,140 people -57.6%
2022 0 people -100.0%
2023 0 people
2024 0 people

Sri Lanka compared with similar countries

  • Sri Lanka's 0 people is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 36,902 people. (54 countries reporting)
  • Sri Lanka's 0 people is below the median for South Asia, which is 217,606 people. (6 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Sri Lanka 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.

YearChange FromTo
2022 -100.0% 82,140 people 0 people
2021 -57.6% 193,716 people 82,140 people

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1.72 million people 1.32 million people 2.09 million people 10
2010s 773,176 people 304,074 people 1.22 million people 10
2020s 55,171 people 0 people 193,716 people 5

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 138 Luxembourg 12.57 people compare
  2. 139 Belgium 6.55 people compare
  3. 140 Finland 1.7 people compare
  4. 141 Albania 0 people compare
  5. 141 Andorra 0 people
  6. 141 Antigua and Barbuda 0 people compare
  7. 141 Austria 0 people compare
  8. 141 Chile 0 people compare
  9. 141 Czechia 0 people compare
  10. 141 Denmark 0 people
  11. 141 Falkland Islands 0 people
  12. 141 Fiji 0 people compare
  13. 141 France 0 people
  14. 141 Germany 0 people
  15. 141 Greece 0 people compare
  16. 141 Guyana 0 people compare
  17. 141 Hungary 0 people
  18. 141 Iceland 0 people
  19. 141 Iran 0 people compare
  20. 141 Italy 0 people
  21. 141 Kazakhstan 0 people compare
  22. 141 Kyrgyzstan 0 people compare
  23. 141 Malaysia 0 people compare
  24. 141 Maldives 0 people compare
  25. 141 Malta 0 people
  26. 141 Mexico 0 people compare
  27. 141 New Zealand 0 people
  28. 141 Norway 0 people
  29. 141 Oman 0 people compare
  30. 141 Poland 0 people compare
  31. 141 Portugal 0 people compare
  32. 141 Spain 0 people compare
  33. 141 Switzerland 0 people compare
  34. 141 Thailand 0 people compare
  35. 141 Tokelau 0 people compare
  36. 141 Turkmenistan 0 people compare
  37. 141 Uruguay 0 people compare

See the full ranking of 175 places →

More reference data data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Sri Lanka?
People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Sri Lanka was 0 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 Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 2.09 million people in 2000.
What is the lowest people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 0 people in 2022.
How does Sri Lanka rank for people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities?
Sri Lanka ranks 141st out of 175 countries with data for 2024.
Is people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is down 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Sri Lanka 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.

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People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Sri Lanka. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/rural-without-improved-sanitation/sri-lanka/

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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.