People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in United States

United States: People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities was 909,537 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
909,537 people
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
60th
of 175 countries
All-time high
916,309 people
in 2023
All-time low
0 people
in 2000
Years of data
25
2000–2024

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

0200.0k400.0k600.0k800.0k1.0M2000201220242000: 0 people2001: 0 people2002: 0 people2003: 0 people2004: 0 people2005: 0 people2006: 0 people2007: 0 people2008: 0 people2009: 0 people2010: 1.7k people2011: 75.1k people2012: 148.6k people2013: 221.9k people2014: 295.2k people2015: 368.3k people2016: 441.1k people2017: 513.4k people2018: 585.0k people2019: 655.7k people2020: 723.4k people2021: 787.6k people2022: 851.9k people2023: 916.3k people2024: 909.5k people

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

Analysis

United States recorded 909,537 people for people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and up 208.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in United States peaked at 916,309 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0 people, in 2000.

United States ranks 60th of 175 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 0 people 0 people 0 people 10
2010s 330,594 people 1,679 people 655,715 people 10
2020s 837,762 people 723,383 people 916,309 people 5

Countries ranked near United States

  1. 57 Colombia 1.06 million people compare
  2. 58 Namibia 947,581 people compare
  3. 59 Algeria 945,222 people compare
  4. 61 Guinea-Bissau 890,478 people compare
  5. 62 Argentina 719,188 people compare
  6. 63 Laos 678,318 people compare

See the full ranking of 175 places →

More reference data data for United States

All data for United States →

Frequently asked questions

What is people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in United States?
People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in United States was 909,537 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 United States?
The highest recorded value was 916,309 people in 2023.
What is the lowest people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in United States?
The lowest recorded value was 0 people in 2000.
How does United States rank for people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities?
United States ranks 60th out of 175 countries with data for 2024.
Is people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in United States?
Over the last ten years it is up 208.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United States 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.