Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas was 0 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
0 people
World rank
105th
of 175 countries
All-time high
924,265 people
in 2000
All-time low
0 people
in 2021
Years of data
25
2000–2024
Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas in Sri Lanka, 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
Sri Lanka recorded 0 people for sanitation facilities usage in rural areas in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 100.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sanitation facilities usage in rural areas in Sri Lanka peaked at 924,265 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0 people, in 2021.
That places Sri Lanka 105th out of 175 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 924,265 people | — |
| 2001 | 893,099 people | -3.4% |
| 2002 | 856,082 people | -4.1% |
| 2003 | 815,638 people | -4.7% |
| 2004 | 774,121 people | -5.1% |
| 2005 | 731,697 people | -5.5% |
| 2006 | 688,878 people | -5.9% |
| 2007 | 645,545 people | -6.3% |
| 2008 | 601,432 people | -6.8% |
| 2009 | 556,397 people | -7.5% |
| 2010 | 510,646 people | -8.2% |
| 2011 | 464,454 people | -9.0% |
| 2012 | 418,236 people | -10.0% |
| 2013 | 371,672 people | -11.1% |
| 2014 | 324,135 people | -12.8% |
| 2015 | 275,596 people | -15.0% |
| 2016 | 226,178 people | -17.9% |
| 2017 | 175,906 people | -22.2% |
| 2018 | 124,802 people | -29.1% |
| 2019 | 72,995 people | -41.5% |
| 2020 | 20,578 people | -71.8% |
| 2021 | 0 people | -100.0% |
| 2022 | 0 people | — |
| 2023 | 0 people | — |
| 2024 | 0 people | — |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 0 people is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1,980 people. (54 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas in Sri Lanka changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | -100.0% | 20,578 people | 0 people |
| 2020 | -71.8% | 72,995 people | 20,578 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 748,715 people | 556,397 people | 924,265 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 296,462 people | 72,995 people | 510,646 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,116 people | 0 people | 20,578 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 102 Tonga 67.34 people compare
- 103 Cook Islands 47.29 people compare
- 104 Turks and Caicos Islands 5.99 people compare
- 105 Albania 0 people compare
- 105 Algeria 0 people compare
- 105 Andorra 0 people
- 105 Antigua and Barbuda 0 people compare
- 105 Austria 0 people
- 105 Bangladesh 0 people compare
- 105 Belarus 0 people
- 105 Belgium 0 people
- 105 Bhutan 0 people compare
- 105 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 people compare
- 105 Brazil 0 people compare
- 105 Bulgaria 0 people
- 105 Canada 0 people
- 105 Chile 0 people compare
- 105 China 0 people compare
- 105 Cyprus 0 people
- 105 Czechia 0 people
- 105 Denmark 0 people
- 105 Egypt 0 people compare
- 105 Estonia 0 people
- 105 Eswatini 0 people compare
- 105 Falkland Islands 0 people
- 105 Fiji 0 people compare
- 105 Finland 0 people
- 105 France 0 people
- 105 Gambia 0 people compare
- 105 Georgia 0 people compare
- 105 Germany 0 people
- 105 Greece 0 people compare
- 105 Guyana 0 people compare
- 105 Hungary 0 people
- 105 Iceland 0 people
- 105 Iraq 0 people compare
- 105 Ireland 0 people
- 105 Israel 0 people
- 105 Italy 0 people
- 105 Kazakhstan 0 people compare
- 105 Kyrgyzstan 0 people compare
- 105 Latvia 0 people
- 105 Lithuania 0 people
- 105 Luxembourg 0 people
- 105 Maldives 0 people compare
- 105 Malta 0 people
- 105 Mexico 0 people compare
- 105 Morocco 0 people compare
- 105 Nepal 0 people compare
- 105 Netherlands 0 people
- 105 New Zealand 0 people
- 105 North Korea 0 people
- 105 Norway 0 people
- 105 Oman 0 people compare
- 105 Palau 0 people
- 105 Poland 0 people
- 105 Portugal 0 people
- 105 Romania 0 people
- 105 Russia 0 people
- 105 Slovakia 0 people
- 105 South Africa 0 people compare
- 105 Spain 0 people
- 105 Sweden 0 people
- 105 Switzerland 0 people
- 105 Thailand 0 people compare
- 105 Tokelau 0 people compare
- 105 Tunisia 0 people compare
- 105 Turkmenistan 0 people compare
- 105 United Arab Emirates 0 people
- 105 United Kingdom 0 people
- 105 United States 0 people
- 105 Uruguay 0 people compare
- 105 Vietnam 0 people compare
More reference data data for Sri Lanka
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1608 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.316 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.33 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1784 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.33 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.539 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.1604 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.15 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.9713 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sanitation facilities usage in rural areas in Sri Lanka?
- Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas in Sri Lanka was 0 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 924,265 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest sanitation facilities usage in rural areas recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 people in 2021.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for sanitation facilities usage in rural areas?
- Sri Lanka ranks 105th out of 175 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sanitation facilities usage in rural areas rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.