People not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Iraq
Iraq: People not using safely managed sanitation facilities was 22.61 million people in 2024. ▲ Rising
People not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Iraq, 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
Iraq recorded 22.61 million people for people not using safely managed sanitation facilities in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.6% on the previous year and up 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Iraq peaked at 22.61 million people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 17.85 million people, in 2000.
That places Iraq 26th out of 150 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
People not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Iraq, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 17.85 million people | — |
| 2001 | 18.15 million people | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 18.46 million people | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 18.75 million people | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 19.00 million people | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 19.38 million people | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 19.31 million people | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 18.94 million people | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 19.08 million people | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 19.52 million people | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 19.87 million people | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 20.25 million people | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 20.82 million people | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 21.35 million people | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 21.60 million people | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 21.63 million people | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 21.54 million people | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 21.37 million people | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 21.23 million people | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 21.16 million people | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 21.09 million people | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 21.47 million people | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 21.86 million people | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 22.24 million people | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 22.61 million people | +1.6% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's 22.61 million people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.56 million people, 5.0× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Iraq's 22.61 million people is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 2.48 million people, 9.1× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 18.84 million people | 17.85 million people | 19.52 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.08 million people | 19.87 million people | 21.63 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.85 million people | 21.09 million people | 22.61 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
More reference data data for Iraq
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2116 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 7.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3911 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 7.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.7096 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.235 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 13.21 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 30.36 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.13 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Iraq?
- People not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Iraq was 22.61 million 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 Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 22.61 million people in 2024.
- What is the lowest people not using safely managed sanitation facilities recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.85 million people in 2000.
- How does Iraq rank for people not using safely managed sanitation facilities?
- Iraq ranks 26th out of 150 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using safely managed sanitation facilities rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 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.