Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Sao Tome and Principe

Sao Tome and Principe: Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities was 45.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
45.5%
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
19th
of 232 countries
All-time high
75.0%
in 2000
All-time low
45.5%
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Sao Tome and Principe, 2000–2024

0204060802000201220242000: 75 %2001: 73.7 %2002: 72.2 %2003: 70.8 %2004: 69.4 %2005: 68 %2006: 66.6 %2007: 65.2 %2008: 63.7 %2009: 62.3 %2010: 60.9 %2011: 59.5 %2012: 58.1 %2013: 56.7 %2014: 55.3 %2015: 54 %2016: 52.6 %2017: 51.2 %2018: 49.9 %2019: 48.5 %2020: 47.2 %2021: 45.8 %2022: 45.7 %2023: 45.6 %2024: 45.5 %

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 Sao Tome and Principe stood at 45.5%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 17.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 75.0% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 45.5%, in 2024.

Sao Tome and Principe ranks 19th of 232 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 68.7% 62.3% 75.0% 10
2010s 54.7% 48.5% 60.9% 10
2020s 46.0% 45.5% 47.2% 5

Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe

  1. 16 Liberia 49.6% compare
  2. 17 Haiti 48.7% compare
  3. 18 Namibia 47.3% compare
  4. 20 Congo 45.0% compare
  5. 21 Tanzania 42.4% compare
  6. 22 Burundi 42.2% compare

See the full ranking of 232 places →

More reference data data for Sao Tome and Principe

All data for Sao Tome and Principe →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Sao Tome and Principe?
Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Sao Tome and Principe was 45.5% 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 Sao Tome and Principe?
The highest recorded value was 75.0% in 2000.
What is the lowest share of population not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
The lowest recorded value was 45.5% in 2024.
How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for share of population not using improved sanitation facilities?
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 19th out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
Over the last ten years it is down 17.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Sao Tome and Principe 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.