Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Bhutan

Bhutan: Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities was 2.6% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
2.6%
Change on year
down 39.1%
World rank
103rd
of 232 countries
All-time high
50.2%
in 2000
All-time low
2.6%
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Bhutan, 2000–2024

010203040502000201220242000: 50.2 %2001: 49.7 %2002: 47.2 %2003: 44.7 %2004: 42.2 %2005: 39.8 %2006: 37.5 %2007: 35.3 %2008: 33.1 %2009: 31 %2010: 28.9 %2011: 26.8 %2012: 24.7 %2013: 22.7 %2014: 20.7 %2015: 18.8 %2016: 16.9 %2017: 15 %2018: 13.1 %2019: 11.3 %2020: 9.5 %2021: 7.7 %2022: 6 %2023: 4.3 %2024: 2.6 %

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

Analysis

Bhutan recorded 2.6% 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 39.1% on the previous year and down 87.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Bhutan peaked at 50.2% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 2.6%, in 2024.

That places Bhutan 103rd out of 232 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 41.1% 31.0% 50.2% 10
2010s 19.9% 11.3% 28.9% 10
2020s 6.0% 2.6% 9.5% 5

Countries ranked near Bhutan

  1. 100 Dominican Republic 3.0% compare
  2. 101 Argentina 2.9% compare
  3. 102 Colombia 2.8% compare
  4. 104 French Polynesia 2.5% compare
  5. 105 Vietnam 2.4% compare
  6. 106 Lithuania 2.2% compare

See the full ranking of 232 places →

More reference data data for Bhutan

All data for Bhutan →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Bhutan?
Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Bhutan was 2.6% 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 Bhutan?
The highest recorded value was 50.2% in 2000.
What is the lowest share of population not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Bhutan?
The lowest recorded value was 2.6% in 2024.
How does Bhutan rank for share of population not using improved sanitation facilities?
Bhutan ranks 103rd out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in Bhutan?
Over the last ten years it is down 87.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Bhutan 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

Indicator
Share of population not using improved sanitation 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
232 places, 5,597 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

If no improved sanitation facility is available, people might practice open defecation or use unimproved sanitation facilities.