Sanitation facilities usage in Kenya
Kenya: Sanitation facilities usage was 3.34 million people in 2024. ▼ Falling
Sanitation facilities usage in Kenya, 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
Kenya recorded 3.34 million people for sanitation facilities usage in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 4.9% on the previous year and down 29.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sanitation facilities usage in Kenya peaked at 5.21 million people in 2003 and was at its lowest, 3.34 million people, in 2024.
Kenya ranks 21st of 232 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Sanitation facilities usage in Kenya, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5.19 million people | — |
| 2001 | 5.20 million people | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 5.20 million people | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 5.21 million people | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 5.20 million people | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 5.19 million people | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 5.18 million people | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 5.16 million people | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 5.13 million people | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 5.10 million people | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 5.06 million people | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 5.00 million people | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 4.93 million people | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 4.85 million people | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 4.75 million people | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 4.64 million people | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 4.53 million people | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 4.41 million people | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 4.28 million people | -3.0% |
| 2019 | 4.14 million people | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 3.99 million people | -3.6% |
| 2021 | 3.83 million people | -3.9% |
| 2022 | 3.67 million people | -4.2% |
| 2023 | 3.51 million people | -4.5% |
| 2024 | 3.34 million people | -4.9% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 3.34 million people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 585,262 people, 5.7× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 3.34 million people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.31 million people, 2.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.18 million people | 5.10 million people | 5.21 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.66 million people | 4.14 million people | 5.06 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.67 million people | 3.34 million people | 3.99 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More reference data data for Kenya
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5379 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 12.22 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 14.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.377 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 14.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 58.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 68.95 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.05 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sanitation facilities usage in Kenya?
- Sanitation facilities usage in Kenya was 3.34 million 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 5.21 million people in 2003.
- What is the lowest sanitation facilities usage recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.34 million people in 2024.
- How does Kenya rank for sanitation facilities usage?
- Kenya ranks 21st out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sanitation facilities usage rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.8%. 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. 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.