Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Eritrea

Eritrea: Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities was 78.3% in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
78.3%
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
3rd
of 232 countries
All-time high
84.1%
in 2000
All-time low
78.3%
in 2016
Years of data
17
2000–2016

Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Eritrea, 2000–2016

0204060802000200820162000: 84.1 %2001: 83.5 %2002: 83 %2003: 82.5 %2004: 82 %2005: 81.5 %2006: 81 %2007: 80.5 %2008: 80.1 %2009: 79.8 %2010: 79.6 %2011: 79.4 %2012: 79.2 %2013: 79 %2014: 78.7 %2015: 78.5 %2016: 78.3 %

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 Eritrea is 78.3%, measured in 2016. That is the lowest value across all 17 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 3.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Eritrea peaked at 84.1% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 78.3%, in 2016.

Eritrea ranks 3rd of 232 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 81.8% 79.8% 84.1% 10
2010s 79.0% 78.3% 79.6% 7

Countries ranked near Eritrea

  1. 1 Chad 81.3% compare
  2. 2 Ethiopia 81.1% compare
  3. 4 South Sudan 77.7% compare
  4. 5 Niger 73.5% compare
  5. 6 Papua New Guinea 70.6% compare

See the full ranking of 232 places →

More reference data data for Eritrea

All data for Eritrea →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Eritrea?
Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Eritrea was 78.3% in 2016, 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 Eritrea?
The highest recorded value was 84.1% in 2000.
What is the lowest share of population not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Eritrea?
The lowest recorded value was 78.3% in 2016.
How does Eritrea rank for share of population not using improved sanitation facilities?
Eritrea ranks 3rd out of 232 countries with data for 2016.
Is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in Eritrea?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Eritrea 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 — 17 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.