Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas was 1.18 million people in 2024. ▲ Rising
Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas in Sierra Leone, 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
The most recent figure for sanitation facilities usage in rural areas in Sierra Leone is 1.18 million people, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 0.6% on the previous year and down 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sanitation facilities usage in rural areas in Sierra Leone peaked at 1.21 million people in 2017 and was at its lowest, 1.02 million people, in 2000.
Sierra Leone ranks 32nd of 175 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1.02 million people | — |
| 2001 | 1.06 million people | +4.3% |
| 2002 | 1.11 million people | +4.2% |
| 2003 | 1.13 million people | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 1.15 million people | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 1.16 million people | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 1.17 million people | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 1.17 million people | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 1.17 million people | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 1.18 million people | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 1.19 million people | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 1.19 million people | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 1.20 million people | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 1.20 million people | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 1.20 million people | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 1.21 million people | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 1.21 million people | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 1.21 million people | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 1.21 million people | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 1.21 million people | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 1.20 million people | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 1.20 million people | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 1.20 million people | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 1.19 million people | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 1.18 million people | -0.6% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 1.18 million people is below the median for low income countries, which is 1.69 million people, 70% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 1.18 million people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.16 million people, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.13 million people | 1.02 million people | 1.18 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.20 million people | 1.19 million people | 1.21 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.20 million people | 1.18 million people | 1.20 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More reference data data for Sierra Leone
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0238 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.4498 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.5935 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.12 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.5935 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0797 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.044 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.91 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.72 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.6534 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sanitation facilities usage in rural areas in Sierra Leone?
- Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas in Sierra Leone was 1.18 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 sanitation facilities usage in rural areas recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 1.21 million people in 2017.
- What is the lowest sanitation facilities usage in rural areas recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.02 million people in 2000.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for sanitation facilities usage in rural areas?
- Sierra Leone ranks 32nd out of 175 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sanitation facilities usage in rural areas rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone 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 Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas. 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
Open defecation includes defecating in fields, forests, bushes, bodies of water or other open spaces, not using any sanitation facilities.