People not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Belgium
Belgium: People not using safely managed sanitation facilities was 599,028 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Belgium, 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
Belgium recorded 599,028 people for people not using safely managed sanitation facilities in 2024.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and down 65.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Belgium peaked at 2.99 million people in 2003 and was at its lowest, 594,082 people, in 2022.
Belgium ranks 101st of 150 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 safely managed sanitation facilities in Belgium, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2.95 million people | — |
| 2001 | 2.96 million people | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 2.98 million people | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 2.99 million people | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 2.89 million people | -3.2% |
| 2005 | 2.80 million people | -3.2% |
| 2006 | 2.71 million people | -3.3% |
| 2007 | 2.61 million people | -3.4% |
| 2008 | 2.52 million people | -3.6% |
| 2009 | 2.40 million people | -4.6% |
| 2010 | 2.29 million people | -4.9% |
| 2011 | 2.16 million people | -5.5% |
| 2012 | 2.03 million people | -6.3% |
| 2013 | 1.89 million people | -7.0% |
| 2014 | 1.74 million people | -7.6% |
| 2015 | 1.60 million people | -8.3% |
| 2016 | 1.45 million people | -9.3% |
| 2017 | 1.30 million people | -10.5% |
| 2018 | 1.14 million people | -11.8% |
| 2019 | 989,457 people | -13.6% |
| 2020 | 830,662 people | -16.0% |
| 2021 | 668,324 people | -19.5% |
| 2022 | 594,082 people | -11.1% |
| 2023 | 597,709 people | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 599,028 people | +0.2% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 599,028 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 481,577 people, 1.2× the median. (60 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 599,028 people is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 837,185 people, 72% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.78 million people | 2.40 million people | 2.99 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.66 million people | 989,457 people | 2.29 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 657,961 people | 594,082 people | 830,662 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More reference data data for Belgium
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9298 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.291 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1382 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.12 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.61 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7526 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Belgium?
- People not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Belgium was 599,028 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 safely managed sanitation facilities recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 2.99 million people in 2003.
- What is the lowest people not using safely managed sanitation facilities recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 594,082 people in 2022.
- How does Belgium rank for people not using safely managed sanitation facilities?
- Belgium ranks 101st out of 150 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using safely managed sanitation facilities rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 65.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belgium 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 safely managed 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
People not using safely managed sanitation services might practice open defecation, use unimproved sanitation facilities, or use improved facilities that do not safely manage human waste.