Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities was 31.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Afghanistan, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 31.4% for share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.6% on the previous year and down 36.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Afghanistan peaked at 72.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 31.4%, in 2024.
That places Afghanistan 39th out of 232 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 72.6% | — |
| 2001 | 72.5% | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 70.8% | -2.4% |
| 2003 | 69.1% | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 67.3% | -2.5% |
| 2005 | 65.6% | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 63.8% | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 62.1% | -2.8% |
| 2008 | 60.3% | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 58.5% | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 56.7% | -3.0% |
| 2011 | 55.0% | -3.1% |
| 2012 | 53.2% | -3.2% |
| 2013 | 51.4% | -3.4% |
| 2014 | 49.6% | -3.5% |
| 2015 | 47.8% | -3.6% |
| 2016 | 46.0% | -3.7% |
| 2017 | 44.2% | -3.9% |
| 2018 | 42.4% | -4.1% |
| 2019 | 40.6% | -4.3% |
| 2020 | 38.8% | -4.5% |
| 2021 | 37.0% | -4.7% |
| 2022 | 35.1% | -5.0% |
| 2023 | 33.3% | -5.3% |
| 2024 | 31.4% | -5.6% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 31.4% is below the median for low income countries, which is 42.2%, 74% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 31.4% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.3%, 112.9× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 66.3% | 58.5% | 72.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.7% | 40.6% | 56.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.1% | 31.4% | 38.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More reference data data for Afghanistan
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.8991 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 4.89 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 6.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.4362 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 6.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.01 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.847 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 18.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 26.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.38 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Afghanistan?
- Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Afghanistan was 31.4% 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 not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 72.6% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of population not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.4% in 2024.
- How does Afghanistan rank for share of population not using improved sanitation facilities?
- Afghanistan ranks 39th out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 36.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Afghanistan 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 not using improved sanitation facilities. 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
If no improved sanitation facility is available, people might practice open defecation or use unimproved sanitation facilities.