People not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Malaysia
Malaysia: People not using safely managed sanitation facilities was 5.05 million people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Malaysia, 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
Malaysia recorded 5.05 million people for people not using safely managed sanitation facilities in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 15.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Malaysia peaked at 6.12 million people in 2009 and was at its lowest, 5.05 million people, in 2024.
Malaysia ranks 59th 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 Malaysia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5.42 million people | — |
| 2001 | 5.51 million people | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 5.60 million people | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 5.69 million people | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 5.78 million people | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 5.87 million people | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 5.96 million people | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 6.05 million people | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 6.09 million people | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 6.12 million people | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 6.10 million people | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 6.07 million people | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 6.03 million people | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 5.99 million people | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 5.94 million people | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 5.90 million people | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 5.85 million people | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 5.79 million people | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 5.69 million people | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 5.55 million people | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 5.40 million people | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 5.24 million people | -3.0% |
| 2022 | 5.08 million people | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 5.07 million people | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 5.05 million people | -0.2% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 5.05 million people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.56 million people, 1.1× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 5.05 million people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 795,840 people, 6.4× the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.81 million people | 5.42 million people | 6.12 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.89 million people | 5.55 million people | 6.10 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.17 million people | 5.05 million people | 5.40 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 56 Spain 5.61 million people compare
- 57 Saudi Arabia 5.47 million people compare
- 58 Serbia 5.12 million people compare
- 60 Central African Republic 4.61 million people compare
- 61 Lebanon 4.32 million people compare
- 62 El Salvador 4.06 million people compare
More reference data data for Malaysia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.7102 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.5869 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1487 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.38 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.64 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 21.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.8098 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Malaysia?
- People not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Malaysia was 5.05 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 6.12 million people in 2009.
- What is the lowest people not using safely managed sanitation facilities recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.05 million people in 2024.
- How does Malaysia rank for people not using safely managed sanitation facilities?
- Malaysia ranks 59th out of 150 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using safely managed sanitation facilities rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.