Sanitation facilities usage in Nigeria
Nigeria: Sanitation facilities usage was 41.78 million people in 2024. ▲ Rising
Sanitation facilities usage in Nigeria, 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 Nigeria is 41.78 million people, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 8.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sanitation facilities usage in Nigeria peaked at 41.78 million people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 30.71 million people, in 2000.
That places Nigeria 2nd out of 232 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Sanitation facilities usage in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 30.71 million people | — |
| 2001 | 31.28 million people | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 31.86 million people | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 32.45 million people | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 33.04 million people | +1.8% |
| 2005 | 33.62 million people | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 34.20 million people | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 34.78 million people | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 35.36 million people | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 35.94 million people | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 36.51 million people | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 37.09 million people | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 37.64 million people | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 38.17 million people | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 38.67 million people | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 39.12 million people | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 39.53 million people | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 39.92 million people | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 40.25 million people | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 40.52 million people | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 40.75 million people | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 40.96 million people | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 41.15 million people | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 41.33 million people | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 41.78 million people | +1.1% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 41.78 million people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 585,262 people, 71.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 41.78 million people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.31 million people, 32.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 33.33 million people | 30.71 million people | 35.94 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.74 million people | 36.51 million people | 40.52 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 41.20 million people | 40.75 million people | 41.78 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More reference data data for Nigeria
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.77 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 19.51 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 5.94 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 5.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 81.9 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 121.16 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 14.27 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sanitation facilities usage in Nigeria?
- Sanitation facilities usage in Nigeria was 41.78 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 Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 41.78 million people in 2024.
- What is the lowest sanitation facilities usage recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 30.71 million people in 2000.
- How does Nigeria rank for sanitation facilities usage?
- Nigeria ranks 2nd out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sanitation facilities usage rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria 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.