Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Ghana

Ghana: Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities was 26.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
26.9%
Change on year
down 2.1%
World rank
45th
of 232 countries
All-time high
42.3%
in 2000
All-time low
26.9%
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

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

0102030402000201220242000: 42.3 %2001: 41.6 %2002: 40.9 %2003: 40.2 %2004: 39.5 %2005: 38.8 %2006: 38.2 %2007: 37.5 %2008: 36.8 %2009: 36.1 %2010: 35.5 %2011: 34.8 %2012: 34.2 %2013: 33.5 %2014: 32.9 %2015: 32.2 %2016: 31.6 %2017: 31 %2018: 30.4 %2019: 29.8 %2020: 29.2 %2021: 28.6 %2022: 28 %2023: 27.4 %2024: 26.9 %

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

Analysis

Ghana recorded 26.9% for share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is down 2.1% on the previous year and down 18.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Ghana peaked at 42.3% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 26.9%, in 2024.

That places Ghana 45th 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 39.2% 36.1% 42.3% 10
2010s 32.6% 29.8% 35.5% 10
2020s 28.0% 26.9% 29.2% 5

Countries ranked near Ghana

  1. 42 Angola 29.1% compare
  2. 43 Vanuatu 27.4% compare
  3. 44 Comoros 27.1% compare
  4. 46 Djibouti 25.9% compare
  5. 47 Malawi 24.1% compare
  6. 48 Gabon 24.0% compare

See the full ranking of 232 places →

More reference data data for Ghana

All data for Ghana →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Ghana?
Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Ghana was 26.9% 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 Ghana?
The highest recorded value was 42.3% in 2000.
What is the lowest share of population not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Ghana?
The lowest recorded value was 26.9% in 2024.
How does Ghana rank for share of population not using improved sanitation facilities?
Ghana ranks 45th out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in Ghana?
Over the last ten years it is down 18.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Ghana 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.