Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in Kenya

Kenya: Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas was 127,251 people in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
127,251 people
Change on year
down 6.7%
World rank
35th
of 186 countries
All-time high
189,585 people
in 2010
All-time low
127,251 people
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in Kenya, 2000–2024

050.0k100.0k150.0k200.0k2000201220242000: 169.4k people2001: 172.4k people2002: 175.3k people2003: 178.0k people2004: 180.5k people2005: 182.8k people2006: 184.8k people2007: 186.5k people2008: 187.9k people2009: 189.0k people2010: 189.6k people2011: 189.5k people2012: 188.8k people2013: 187.4k people2014: 185.3k people2015: 182.6k people2016: 179.3k people2017: 175.4k people2018: 170.6k people2019: 165.2k people2020: 159.1k people2021: 152.2k people2022: 144.7k people2023: 136.4k people2024: 127.3k people

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 urban areas in Kenya is 127,251 people, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is down 6.7% on the previous year and down 31.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in Kenya peaked at 189,585 people in 2010 and was at its lowest, 127,251 people, in 2024.

That places Kenya 35th out of 186 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 180,675 people 169,368 people 189,048 people 10
2010s 181,359 people 165,202 people 189,585 people 10
2020s 143,931 people 127,251 people 159,111 people 5

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 32 Sierra Leone 141,560 people compare
  2. 33 Peru 141,242 people compare
  3. 34 Tanzania 137,437 people compare
  4. 36 Dominican Republic 104,633 people compare
  5. 37 Senegal 94,848 people compare
  6. 38 Papua New Guinea 78,167 people compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More reference data data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in Kenya?
Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in Kenya was 127,251 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 urban areas recorded in Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 189,585 people in 2010.
What is the lowest sanitation facilities usage in urban areas recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was 127,251 people in 2024.
How does Kenya rank for sanitation facilities usage in urban areas?
Kenya ranks 35th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
Is sanitation facilities usage in urban areas rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is down 31.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Kenya 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 urban 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

Indicator
Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas
Unit
people
Source
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
186 places, 4,553 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

Open defecation includes defecating in fields, forests, bushes, bodies of water or other open spaces, not using any sanitation facilities.