Sanitation facilities usage in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Sanitation facilities usage was 3,167 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
Sanitation facilities usage in Costa Rica, 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 Costa Rica is 3,167 people, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 27.0% on the previous year and down 78.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sanitation facilities usage in Costa Rica peaked at 30,333 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 3,167 people, in 2024.
Costa Rica ranks 100th of 232 countries on this measure, 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 | 25,609 people | 20,660 people | 30,333 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 14,303 people | 9,071 people | 19,514 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 5,523 people | 3,167 people | 7,891 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 97 Serbia 3,908 people compare
- 98 Dominica 3,816 people compare
- 99 Mauritius 3,204 people compare
- 101 Trinidad and Tobago 2,936 people compare
- 102 Azerbaijan 2,730 people compare
- 103 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2,658 people compare
More reference data data for Costa Rica
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.2864 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.8623 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.1052 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.3865 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.3144 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 143 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 Costa Rica?
- Sanitation facilities usage in Costa Rica was 3,167 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 recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 30,333 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest sanitation facilities usage recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,167 people in 2024.
- How does Costa Rica rank for sanitation facilities usage?
- Costa Rica ranks 100th out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sanitation facilities usage rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 78.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica 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. 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.