Malawi vs Zambia: Share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation
Malawi
48.0%
in 2024
Zambia
43.3%
in 2024
Malawi rank
164th
Zambia rank
167th
Share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation over time
- Malawi
- Zambia
How they compare
Malawi currently reports 48.0% against 43.3% in Zambia, a difference of 4.7%.
That makes Malawi's figure about 1.1 times Zambia's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Zambia ahead.
Malawi ranks 164th and Zambia ranks 167th of 186 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Malawi averaged higher in 1 and Zambia in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malawi | Zambia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 26.2% | 45.2% | 19.0% | Zambia |
| 2010s | 38.2% | 43.4% | 5.1% | Zambia |
| 2020s | 47.3% | 42.6% | 4.6% | Malawi |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation, Malawi or Zambia?
- Malawi, at 48.0% against 43.3% in Zambia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation between Malawi and Zambia?
- 4.7%, with Malawi ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and Zambia?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do Malawi and Zambia rank globally for share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation?
- Malawi ranks 164th and Zambia ranks 167th of 186 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Proportion of people using improved sanitation facilities, such as toilets or latrines, that are not shared with other households.