Sanitation facilities usage in Zambia
Zambia: Sanitation facilities usage was 435,970 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
Sanitation facilities usage in Zambia, 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
In 2024, sanitation facilities usage in Zambia stood at 435,970 people. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 30.2% on the previous year and down 78.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sanitation facilities usage in Zambia peaked at 2.97 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 435,970 people, in 2024.
Zambia ranks 48th of 232 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
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.74 million people | 2.47 million people | 2.97 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.90 million people | 1.31 million people | 2.39 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 799,496 people | 435,970 people | 1.15 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More reference data data for Zambia
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.0386 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies -0.018 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.3261 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.5273 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies -0.2981 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 483.32 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 Zambia?
- Sanitation facilities usage in Zambia was 435,970 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 2.97 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest sanitation facilities usage recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 435,970 people in 2024.
- How does Zambia rank for sanitation facilities usage?
- Zambia ranks 48th out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sanitation facilities usage rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 78.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia 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.