Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in South Korea

South Korea: Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities was 0.3% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
0.3%
Change on year
up 6.4%
World rank
158th
of 232 countries
All-time high
0.3%
in 2024
All-time low
0.0%
in 2000
Years of data
25
2000–2024

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

00.10.20.32000201220242000: 0 %2001: 0 %2002: 0 %2003: 0 %2004: 0 %2005: 0 %2006: 0 %2007: 0 %2008: 0.009 %2009: 0.025 %2010: 0.041 %2011: 0.058 %2012: 0.074 %2013: 0.091 %2014: 0.107 %2015: 0.123 %2016: 0.14 %2017: 0.156 %2018: 0.172 %2019: 0.189 %2020: 0.205 %2021: 0.222 %2022: 0.238 %2023: 0.254 %2024: 0.271 %

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

Analysis

In 2024, share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in South Korea stood at 0.3%. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.4% on the previous year and up 153.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in South Korea peaked at 0.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2000.

That places South Korea 158th 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 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 10
2010s 0.1% 0.0% 0.2% 10
2020s 0.2% 0.2% 0.3% 5

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 155 Estonia 0.3% compare
  2. 156 Palestine 0.3% compare
  3. 159 Sri Lanka 0.3% compare
  4. 160 Northern Mariana Islands 0.2% compare
  5. 161 Belarus 0.2% compare

See the full ranking of 232 places →

More reference data data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in South Korea?
Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in South Korea was 0.3% 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 South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 0.3% in 2024.
What is the lowest share of population not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2000.
How does South Korea rank for share of population not using improved sanitation facilities?
South Korea ranks 158th out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 153.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Korea 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.