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.
Sanitation facilities usage in Zambia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2.97 million people | — |
| 2001 | 2.93 million people | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 2.88 million people | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 2.83 million people | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 2.78 million people | -1.9% |
| 2005 | 2.72 million people | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 2.67 million people | -2.1% |
| 2007 | 2.61 million people | -2.2% |
| 2008 | 2.54 million people | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 2.47 million people | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 2.39 million people | -3.2% |
| 2011 | 2.30 million people | -3.7% |
| 2012 | 2.21 million people | -4.2% |
| 2013 | 2.10 million people | -4.8% |
| 2014 | 1.99 million people | -5.4% |
| 2015 | 1.87 million people | -6.1% |
| 2016 | 1.74 million people | -6.9% |
| 2017 | 1.60 million people | -7.8% |
| 2018 | 1.46 million people | -9.0% |
| 2019 | 1.31 million people | -10.4% |
| 2020 | 1.15 million people | -12.2% |
| 2021 | 981,403 people | -14.6% |
| 2022 | 806,424 people | -17.8% |
| 2023 | 624,721 people | -22.5% |
| 2024 | 435,970 people | -30.2% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 435,970 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 585,262 people, 74% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 435,970 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.31 million people, 33% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Sanitation facilities usage in Zambia 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 | -30.2% | 624,721 people | 435,970 people |
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
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Global number of reported disasters by size, gaps filled 0 events (2025)
- Annual precipitation, annual growth rate 40.84 % change on previous year (2025)
- Free country, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Consumer price index 483.32 2010 = 100 (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.