People not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Nepal
Nepal: People not using safely managed sanitation facilities was 13.81 million people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Nepal, 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
Nepal recorded 13.81 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 4.7% on the previous year and down 26.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Nepal peaked at 22.75 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 13.81 million people, in 2024.
That places Nepal 38th out of 150 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Nepal, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 22.75 million people | — |
| 2001 | 22.61 million people | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 22.56 million people | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 22.47 million people | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 22.33 million people | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 22.14 million people | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 21.90 million people | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 21.62 million people | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 21.31 million people | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 20.96 million people | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 20.59 million people | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 20.18 million people | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 19.71 million people | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 19.22 million people | -2.5% |
| 2014 | 18.73 million people | -2.5% |
| 2015 | 18.29 million people | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 17.81 million people | -2.6% |
| 2017 | 17.28 million people | -3.0% |
| 2018 | 16.74 million people | -3.1% |
| 2019 | 16.34 million people | -2.4% |
| 2020 | 16.04 million people | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 15.69 million people | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 15.17 million people | -3.3% |
| 2023 | 14.50 million people | -4.4% |
| 2024 | 13.81 million people | -4.7% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 13.81 million people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9.24 million people, 1.5× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 22.07 million people | 20.96 million people | 22.75 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.49 million people | 16.34 million people | 20.59 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.04 million people | 13.81 million people | 16.04 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More reference data data for Nepal
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.7753 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7853 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.6 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.7974 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 11.28 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 19.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.28 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Nepal?
- People not using safely managed sanitation facilities in Nepal was 13.81 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 Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 22.75 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people not using safely managed sanitation facilities recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.81 million people in 2024.
- How does Nepal rank for people not using safely managed sanitation facilities?
- Nepal ranks 38th out of 150 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using safely managed sanitation facilities rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nepal 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.