Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in Somalia

Somalia: Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas was 161,906 people in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
161,906 people
Change on year
down 13.7%
World rank
26th
of 186 countries
All-time high
347,117 people
in 2006
All-time low
161,906 people
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

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

0100.0k200.0k300.0k2000201220242000: 316.8k people2001: 321.8k people2002: 325.5k people2003: 332.4k people2004: 338.9k people2005: 344.0k people2006: 347.1k people2007: 317.4k people2008: 326.4k people2009: 333.0k people2010: 338.4k people2011: 336.4k people2012: 324.6k people2013: 319.4k people2014: 314.0k people2015: 306.9k people2016: 299.5k people2017: 290.6k people2018: 278.8k people2019: 265.5k people2020: 250.4k people2021: 232.7k people2022: 211.3k people2023: 187.5k people2024: 161.9k 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 Somalia is 161,906 people, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is down 13.7% on the previous year and down 48.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in Somalia peaked at 347,117 people in 2006 and was at its lowest, 161,906 people, in 2024.

Somalia ranks 26th of 186 countries on this measure, 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 330,348 people 316,814 people 347,117 people 10
2010s 307,409 people 265,513 people 338,390 people 10
2020s 208,773 people 161,906 people 250,445 people 5

Countries ranked near Somalia

  1. 23 Uganda 247,091 people compare
  2. 24 Colombia 197,754 people compare
  3. 25 South Africa 177,162 people compare
  4. 27 Central African Republic 160,881 people compare
  5. 28 Cameroon 158,114 people compare
  6. 29 Nepal 158,099 people compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More reference data data for Somalia

All data for Somalia →

Frequently asked questions

What is sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in Somalia?
Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in Somalia was 161,906 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 Somalia?
The highest recorded value was 347,117 people in 2006.
What is the lowest sanitation facilities usage in urban areas recorded in Somalia?
The lowest recorded value was 161,906 people in 2024.
How does Somalia rank for sanitation facilities usage in urban areas?
Somalia ranks 26th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
Is sanitation facilities usage in urban areas rising or falling in Somalia?
Over the last ten years it is down 48.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Somalia 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.