Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities was 0.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Saudi Arabia, 2013–2024
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 Saudi Arabia stood at 0.2%. That is the lowest value across all 12 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 4.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Saudi Arabia peaked at 0.2% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2024.
That places Saudi Arabia 162nd 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 12 years of available data.
Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 0.2% | — |
| 2014 | 0.2% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 0.2% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 0.2% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 0.2% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 0.2% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 0.2% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 0.2% | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 0.2% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 0.2% | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 0.2% | -0.5% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 0.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.1%, 3.8× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 0.2% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.3%, 80% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 7 |
| 2020s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
- 159 Sri Lanka 0.3% compare
- 160 Northern Mariana Islands 0.2% compare
- 161 Belarus 0.2% compare
- 163 United Arab Emirates 0.2% compare
- 164 Turkmenistan 0.2% compare
- 165 United Kingdom 0.2% compare
More reference data data for Saudi Arabia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1847 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1771 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6194 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.2207 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 6.07 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.64 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.9641 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Saudi Arabia?
- Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities in Saudi Arabia was 0.2% 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 Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.2% in 2013.
- What is the lowest share of population not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2024.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for share of population not using improved sanitation facilities?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 162nd out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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 — 12 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.