Sanitation facilities usage in Nepal
Nepal: Sanitation facilities usage was 158,099 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Sanitation facilities usage 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 Nepal is 158,099 people, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 82.5% on the previous year and down 97.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sanitation facilities usage in Nepal peaked at 16.74 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 158,099 people, in 2024.
Nepal ranks 62nd of 232 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Sanitation facilities usage in Nepal, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 16.74 million people | — |
| 2001 | 16.23 million people | -3.0% |
| 2002 | 15.73 million people | -3.1% |
| 2003 | 15.19 million people | -3.4% |
| 2004 | 14.62 million people | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 14.01 million people | -4.2% |
| 2006 | 13.37 million people | -4.6% |
| 2007 | 12.70 million people | -5.0% |
| 2008 | 12.02 million people | -5.4% |
| 2009 | 11.32 million people | -5.8% |
| 2010 | 10.60 million people | -6.3% |
| 2011 | 9.87 million people | -6.9% |
| 2012 | 9.11 million people | -7.7% |
| 2013 | 8.35 million people | -8.3% |
| 2014 | 7.60 million people | -9.0% |
| 2015 | 6.87 million people | -9.7% |
| 2016 | 6.12 million people | -10.8% |
| 2017 | 5.36 million people | -12.4% |
| 2018 | 4.61 million people | -14.1% |
| 2019 | 3.89 million people | -15.6% |
| 2020 | 3.19 million people | -18.1% |
| 2021 | 2.45 million people | -23.0% |
| 2022 | 1.69 million people | -31.3% |
| 2023 | 902,122 people | -46.5% |
| 2024 | 158,099 people | -82.5% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 158,099 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 585,262 people, 27% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Sanitation facilities usage in Nepal changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | -82.5% | 902,122 people | 158,099 people |
| 2023 | -46.5% | 1.69 million people | 902,122 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 14.19 million people | 11.32 million people | 16.74 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.24 million people | 3.89 million people | 10.60 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.68 million people | 158,099 people | 3.19 million 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 Nepal?
- Sanitation facilities usage 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 recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 16.74 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest sanitation facilities usage recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 158,099 people in 2024.
- How does Nepal rank for sanitation facilities usage?
- Nepal ranks 62nd out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sanitation facilities usage rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 97.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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. 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.