Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas in Zambia
Zambia: Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas was 367,696 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas in Zambia, 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 Zambia is 367,696 people, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 33.0% on the previous year and down 80.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sanitation facilities usage in rural areas in Zambia peaked at 2.85 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 367,696 people, in 2024.
That places Zambia 47th out of 175 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.62 million people | 2.35 million people | 2.85 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.78 million people | 1.21 million people | 2.27 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 716,817 people | 367,696 people | 1.05 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More reference data data for Zambia
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.0386 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies -0.018 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.3261 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.5273 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies -0.2981 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 483.32 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sanitation facilities usage in rural areas in Zambia?
- Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas in Zambia was 367,696 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 2.85 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest sanitation facilities usage in rural areas recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 367,696 people in 2024.
- How does Zambia rank for sanitation facilities usage in rural areas?
- Zambia ranks 47th out of 175 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sanitation facilities usage in rural areas rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 80.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia 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.