People not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Kenya
Kenya: People not using safely managed sanitation facilities was 36.21 million people in 2024. ▲ Rising
People not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Kenya, 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
Kenya recorded 36.21 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 1.1% on the previous year and up 11.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Kenya peaked at 36.21 million people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 24.45 million people, in 2000.
Kenya ranks 17th of 150 countries on this measure, 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 Kenya, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 24.45 million people | — |
| 2001 | 25.03 million people | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 25.62 million people | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 26.20 million people | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 26.79 million people | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 27.39 million people | +2.2% |
| 2006 | 27.99 million people | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 28.59 million people | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 29.22 million people | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 29.87 million people | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 30.48 million people | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 31.07 million people | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 31.62 million people | +1.8% |
| 2013 | 32.13 million people | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 32.60 million people | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 33.05 million people | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 33.45 million people | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 33.84 million people | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 34.19 million people | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 34.51 million people | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 34.84 million people | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 35.14 million people | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 35.45 million people | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 35.83 million people | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 36.21 million people | +1.1% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 36.21 million people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9.24 million people, 3.9× the median. (31 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 36.21 million people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 16.78 million people, 2.2× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 27.11 million people | 24.45 million people | 29.87 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.69 million people | 30.48 million people | 34.51 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.49 million people | 34.84 million people | 36.21 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More reference data data for Kenya
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5379 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 12.22 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 14.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.377 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 14.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 58.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 68.95 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.05 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Kenya?
- People not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Kenya was 36.21 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 36.21 million people in 2024.
- What is the lowest people not using safely managed sanitation facilities recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.45 million people in 2000.
- How does Kenya rank for people not using safely managed sanitation facilities?
- Kenya ranks 17th out of 150 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using safely managed sanitation facilities rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya 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.