Clean Water and Sanitation
Having access to and using safe drinking water, sanitation, and handwashing is a basic human need.
Individuals not using these facilities increases the risk of disease and malnutrition and is attributed to millions of deaths each year.
The world has made significant progress in increasing their availability. In the past, infectious diseases were the leading cause of death in most countries. They’ve fallen dramatically in high and middle-income countries – partly due to increased usage of clean water and sanitation.
But there is still more work to do. It is still a major problem in low-income countries.
On this page, you can find all of our data on water, sanitation, and handwashing.
Research & Writing
Clean Water
Clean and safe water is essential for good health. How did access change over time? Where do people lack access?
Sanitation
Safe sanitation is essential to reduce deaths from infectious diseases, prevent malnutrition, and provide dignity.
Hygiene and Handwashing
How many people lack access to basic handwashing facilities?
More articles on Clean Water and Sanitation
Interactive Charts on Clean Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Share using safely managed drinking water
Share of the population using safely managed sanitation facilities
Share of population with access to basic handwashing facilities
Death rate attributable to unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene
Death rate from unsafe sanitationIHME, age-standardized
Death rate from unsafe water sourcesIHME, age-standardized
Deaths attributed to unsafe sanitation
Deaths attributed to unsafe water sources
Share of deaths attributed to unsafe sanitation
Share of deaths attributed to unsafe water sources
Share of the population with access to handwashing facilities
Average ammonium concentration in freshwater
Average nitrate concentration in freshwater
Average phosphorus concentration in freshwater
Bathing sites with excellent water quality
Death rate from no access to hand-washing facilitiesIHME, crude
Deaths attributed to lack of access to handwashing facilities
Number of people in rural areas without basic handwashing facilities
People not using an improved water source
People not using improved sanitation facilities
People not using safe drinking water facilities
People not using to safely managed sanitation
People using at least a basic drinking water source
People without basic handwashing facilities
Population with basic handwashing facilities, urban vs. rural
Rate of deaths attributed to no access to handwashing facilitiesIHME, age-standardized
Rate of deaths attributed to unsafe sanitationIHME, crude
Rate of deaths attributed to unsafe water sourcesIHME, crude
Share of people practicing open defecation
Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source
Share of the population not using an improved water source
Share of the population not using improved sanitation
Share of the population using at least basic sanitation services
Share of the population using drinking water facilities
Share of the population using sanitation facilities
Share of the rural population using at least basic water services
Share of urban population using at least basic water services
Death rate from unsafe water vs. GDP per capita
Diarrheal diseases death rate in children vs. access to basic handwashing facilities
Drinking water service usage
Drinking water services usage in rural areas
Has country already reached SDG target for usage of improved sanitation facilities?
Has country already reached SDG target on improved water access?
Improved water sources vs. GDP per capita
Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas
Sanitation facilities usage
Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas
Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas
Share of population with improved sanitation vs. GDP per capita
Share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities
Share of the rural population using at least basic sanitation services
Share of urban population using at least basic sanitation services
Share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic drinking water
Share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation
Share of urban vs. rural population using safely managed drinking water
Share of urban vs. rural population using safely managed sanitation facilities
Total official financial flows for water supply and sanitation, by recipient
Urban improved water usage vs. rural water usage
Usage of at least basic sanitation facilities
Usage of improved water sources
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Our articles and data visualizations rely on work from many different people and organizations. When citing this topic page, please also cite the underlying data sources. This topic page can be cited as:
Hannah Ritchie, Fiona Spooner and Max Roser (2021) - “Clean Water and Sanitation” Published online at OurWorldinData.org. Retrieved from: 'https://ourworldindata.org/clean-water-sanitation' [Online Resource]BibTeX citation
@article{owid-clean-water-sanitation,
author = {Hannah Ritchie and Fiona Spooner and Max Roser},
title = {Clean Water and Sanitation},
journal = {Our World in Data},
year = {2021},
note = {https://ourworldindata.org/clean-water-sanitation}
}
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