Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Nepal

Nepal: Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities was 2.0% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
2.0%
Change on year
down 58.3%
World rank
109th
of 232 countries
All-time high
74.9%
in 2000
All-time low
2.0%
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

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

0204060802000201220242000: 74.9 %2001: 71.5 %2002: 68.3 %2003: 65.2 %2004: 62 %2005: 58.9 %2006: 55.7 %2007: 52.6 %2008: 49.5 %2009: 46.4 %2010: 43.4 %2011: 40.3 %2012: 37.3 %2013: 34.2 %2014: 31.2 %2015: 28.2 %2016: 25.2 %2017: 22.2 %2018: 19.3 %2019: 16.4 %2020: 13.5 %2021: 10.6 %2022: 7.7 %2023: 4.8 %2024: 2 %

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

Analysis

Nepal recorded 2.0% for share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 58.3% on the previous year and down 93.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Nepal peaked at 74.9% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 2.0%, in 2024.

That places Nepal 109th 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 60.5% 46.4% 74.9% 10
2010s 29.8% 16.4% 43.4% 10
2020s 7.7% 2.0% 13.5% 5

Countries ranked near Nepal

  1. 106 Lithuania 2.2% compare
  2. 107 Niue 2.1% compare
  3. 108 Serbia 2.1% compare
  4. 110 Bahamas 2.0% compare
  5. 111 Ecuador 1.9% compare
  6. 112 Montenegro 1.9% compare

See the full ranking of 232 places →

More reference data data for Nepal

All data for Nepal →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Nepal?
Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Nepal was 2.0% 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 Nepal?
The highest recorded value was 74.9% in 2000.
What is the lowest share of population not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Nepal?
The lowest recorded value was 2.0% in 2024.
How does Nepal rank for share of population not using improved sanitation facilities?
Nepal ranks 109th out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in Nepal?
Over the last ten years it is down 93.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Nepal 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.