Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Cameroon

Cameroon: Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities was 35.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
35.4%
Change on year
down 1.0%
World rank
32nd
of 232 countries
All-time high
44.1%
in 2000
All-time low
35.4%
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

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

0102030402000201220242000: 44.1 %2001: 43.7 %2002: 43.4 %2003: 43 %2004: 42.6 %2005: 42.3 %2006: 41.9 %2007: 41.6 %2008: 41.2 %2009: 40.8 %2010: 40.5 %2011: 40.1 %2012: 39.8 %2013: 39.4 %2014: 39 %2015: 38.7 %2016: 38.3 %2017: 37.9 %2018: 37.6 %2019: 37.2 %2020: 36.8 %2021: 36.5 %2022: 36.1 %2023: 35.8 %2024: 35.4 %

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Cameroon is 35.4%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 9.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Cameroon peaked at 44.1% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 35.4%, in 2024.

Cameroon ranks 32nd 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 42.5% 40.8% 44.1% 10
2010s 38.8% 37.2% 40.5% 10
2020s 36.1% 35.4% 36.8% 5

Countries ranked near Cameroon

  1. 29 Kiribati 36.8% compare
  2. 30 Nigeria 36.2% compare
  3. 31 Somalia 36.1% compare
  4. 33 Zimbabwe 34.3% compare
  5. 34 Yemen 33.0% compare
  6. 35 Lesotho 32.8% compare

See the full ranking of 232 places →

More reference data data for Cameroon

All data for Cameroon →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Cameroon?
Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Cameroon was 35.4% 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 Cameroon?
The highest recorded value was 44.1% in 2000.
What is the lowest share of population not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Cameroon?
The lowest recorded value was 35.4% in 2024.
How does Cameroon rank for share of population not using improved sanitation facilities?
Cameroon ranks 32nd out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in Cameroon?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Cameroon 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.