Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in Nepal
Nepal: Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas was 158,099 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas 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
The most recent figure for sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in Nepal is 158,099 people, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 21.0% on the previous year and down 66.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in Nepal peaked at 638,302 people in 2001 and was at its lowest, 158,099 people, in 2024.
That places Nepal 29th 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.
Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in Nepal, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 626,115 people | — |
| 2001 | 638,302 people | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 636,666 people | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 633,305 people | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 627,960 people | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 620,547 people | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 611,025 people | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 599,530 people | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 586,276 people | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 571,318 people | -2.6% |
| 2010 | 554,736 people | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 535,913 people | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 514,919 people | -3.9% |
| 2013 | 492,390 people | -4.4% |
| 2014 | 469,117 people | -4.7% |
| 2015 | 445,577 people | -5.0% |
| 2016 | 420,228 people | -5.7% |
| 2017 | 392,237 people | -6.7% |
| 2018 | 362,944 people | -7.5% |
| 2019 | 335,210 people | -7.6% |
| 2020 | 307,538 people | -8.3% |
| 2021 | 276,534 people | -10.1% |
| 2022 | 240,433 people | -13.1% |
| 2023 | 200,190 people | -16.7% |
| 2024 | 158,099 people | -21.0% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 158,099 people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 34,339 people, 4.6× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 615,104 people | 571,318 people | 638,302 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 452,327 people | 335,210 people | 554,736 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 236,559 people | 158,099 people | 307,538 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 sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in Nepal?
- Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in Nepal was 158,099 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 Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 638,302 people in 2001.
- What is the lowest sanitation facilities usage in urban areas recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 158,099 people in 2024.
- How does Nepal rank for sanitation facilities usage in urban areas?
- Nepal ranks 29th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sanitation facilities usage in urban areas rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 66.3%. 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 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
Open defecation includes defecating in fields, forests, bushes, bodies of water or other open spaces, not using any sanitation facilities.