Share of population using safely managed sanitation in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Share of population using safely managed sanitation was 97.8% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Share of population using safely managed sanitation in United Kingdom, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 97.8% for share of population using safely managed sanitation in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population using safely managed sanitation in United Kingdom peaked at 97.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 97.3%, in 2000.
United Kingdom ranks 13th of 150 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Share of population using safely managed sanitation in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 97.3% | — |
| 2001 | 97.3% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 97.3% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 97.4% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 97.4% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 97.4% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 97.4% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 97.5% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 97.5% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 97.5% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 97.6% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 97.6% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 97.6% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 97.6% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 97.7% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 97.7% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 97.7% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 97.7% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 97.7% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 97.8% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 97.8% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 97.8% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 97.8% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 97.8% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 97.8% | +0.0% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 97.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 92.1%, 1.1× the median. (60 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 97.8% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 90.0%, 1.1× the median. (49 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 97.4% | 97.3% | 97.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 97.7% | 97.6% | 97.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 97.8% | 97.8% | 97.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More reference data data for United Kingdom
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.13 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.97 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.01 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 10.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 6.51 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 15.81 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 59.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 5.48 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population using safely managed sanitation in United Kingdom?
- Share of population using safely managed sanitation in United Kingdom was 97.8% 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 population using safely managed sanitation recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 97.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of population using safely managed sanitation recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 97.3% in 2000.
- How does United Kingdom rank for share of population using safely managed sanitation?
- United Kingdom ranks 13th out of 150 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population using safely managed sanitation rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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 population using safely managed sanitation. 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
Proportion of people using improved sanitation facilities that are not shared with other households and where excreta are safely disposed in situ or transported and treated off-site.