Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Jamaica
Jamaica: Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities was 1.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Jamaica, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Jamaica recorded 1.3% for share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 4.2% on the previous year and down 32.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Jamaica peaked at 2.8% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.3%, in 2024.
That places Jamaica 125th out of 232 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2.8% | — |
| 2001 | 2.8% | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 2.7% | -2.5% |
| 2003 | 2.6% | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 2.5% | -2.6% |
| 2005 | 2.5% | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 2.4% | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 2.3% | -2.8% |
| 2008 | 2.3% | -2.8% |
| 2009 | 2.2% | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 2.1% | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 2.1% | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 2.0% | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 2.0% | -3.2% |
| 2014 | 1.9% | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 1.8% | -3.3% |
| 2016 | 1.8% | -3.4% |
| 2017 | 1.7% | -3.5% |
| 2018 | 1.6% | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 1.6% | -3.7% |
| 2020 | 1.5% | -3.8% |
| 2021 | 1.5% | -3.9% |
| 2022 | 1.4% | -4.0% |
| 2023 | 1.3% | -4.1% |
| 2024 | 1.3% | -4.2% |
Jamaica compared with similar countries
- Jamaica's 1.3% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2.6%, 49% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Jamaica's 1.3% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1.9%, 66% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.5% | 2.2% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.9% | 1.6% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
- 122 Croatia 1.3% compare
- 123 Trinidad and Tobago 1.3% compare
- 124 Turks and Caicos Islands 1.3% compare
- 126 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 1.2% compare
- 127 El Salvador 1.2% compare
- 128 Cook Islands 1.2% compare
More reference data data for Jamaica
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.045 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.1808 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.2582 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0003 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.2582 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1508 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0583 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.8486 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0015 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Jamaica?
- Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Jamaica was 1.3% 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 Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 2.8% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of population not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.3% in 2024.
- How does Jamaica rank for share of population not using improved sanitation facilities?
- Jamaica ranks 125th out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Jamaica 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.