Sanitation

SDG Target 6.2

Achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations.

Global Progress and Projections for Sanitation
Prevalence of population using safely managed sanitation
Line chart of global 2020 estimate of 32% of populations using unsafe or unimproved sanitation and a 2030 projection of 27% 1990 2021 2030 0%20%40%60%80%100% Historical Projections Drag the slider to explore the graph 2021 58% 58% 61% 65% 66% 100%
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Global
Legend
2030 target
Historical average
Better
Reference
Worse
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Although the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) focused only on access to toilets, the SDGs rightly established a new indicator for “safely managed” sanitation, which includes both improved toilet facilities as well as ensuring that the excreta are safely disposed of. One means of safe disposal is a sewer connection to a functioning wastewater treatment plan, but other, lower-cost technologies to safely manage waste also exist or are under development. The information to track progress on this new measure remains imperfect, but the amount of available data has increased sufficiently for this year’s report to project safely managed sanitation for the first time.
The current pace of change indicates that the world remains significantly delayed in achieving the SDG target of universal access to safely managed sanitation by 2030.

Interact with the Data

Below you can view comparisons of the historical progress for this indicator across any region or country in the world. Drag the slider to see the data from any year, and add up to three other locations to see how they compare to the global progress. Download any chart you create.

Historical Progress for Sanitation
SDG Target 6.2
Achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations.
Prevalence of population using safely managed sanitation
Legend
2030 target
Global
Historical 1990 2021 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 58% 100%
Source: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2022 Goalkeepers Report. https://gates.ly/GK22Sanitation
For more information on data sources: https://gates.ly/GK22DataSources
Global Progress and Projections for Sanitation
SDG Target 6.2
Achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations.
Prevalence of population using safely managed sanitation
Legend
2030 target
Historical average
Better
Reference
Worse
Historical Projections 1990 2021 2030 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 61% 65% 66% 100% 61% 65% 66% 100% 58% 58%
Source: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2022 Goalkeepers Report. https://gates.ly/GK22Sanitation
For more information on data sources: https://gates.ly/GK22DataSources
Historical Progress for Sanitation
Prevalence of population using safely managed sanitation
Interactive line chart to compare historical progress across any region or country in the world 1990 2021 0%20%40%60%80%100% Historical Drag the slider to explore the graph 100% 58% 2021
Add up to 3 Regions or Countries
Try Afghanistam, Iran and India
Legend
2030 target
Global
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