Share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities in Kenya

Kenya: Share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities was 48.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
48.2%
Change on year
up 8.3%
World rank
62nd
of 113 countries
All-time high
48.2%
in 2024
All-time low
14.9%
in 2011
Years of data
14
2011–2024

Share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities in Kenya, 2011–2024

10203040502011201720242011: 14.9 %2012: 14.9 %2013: 14.9 %2014: 14.9 %2015: 14.9 %2016: 18.6 %2017: 22.3 %2018: 26 %2019: 29.7 %2020: 33.4 %2021: 37.1 %2022: 40.8 %2023: 44.5 %2024: 48.2 %

Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2024, share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities in Kenya stood at 48.2%. That is the highest value across all 14 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.3% on the previous year and up 223.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities in Kenya peaked at 48.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 14.9%, in 2011.

That places Kenya 62nd out of 113 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 19.0% 14.9% 29.7% 9
2020s 40.8% 33.4% 48.2% 5

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 59 Laos 56.6% compare
  2. 60 Yemen 56.3% compare
  3. 61 Afghanistan 48.9% compare
  4. 63 Sao Tome and Principe 43.1% compare
  5. 64 Vanuatu 42.2% compare
  6. 65 Cape Verde 37.7% compare

See the full ranking of 113 places →

More reference data data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities in Kenya?
Share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities in Kenya was 48.2% 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 share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities recorded in Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 48.2% in 2024.
What is the lowest share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was 14.9% in 2011.
How does Kenya rank for share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities?
Kenya ranks 62nd out of 113 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is up 223.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
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 Share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities
Unit
%
Source
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
113 places, 1,715 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

Proportion of people with access to a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home.