Using safely managed sanitation facilities: urban vs. rural population in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe: Using safely managed sanitation facilities: urban vs. rural population was 10.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
10.3%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
120th
of 124 countries
All-time high
27.2%
in 2000
All-time low
10.3%
in 2021
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Using safely managed sanitation facilities: urban vs. rural population in Zimbabwe, 2000–2024

01020302000201220242000: 27.2 %2001: 27.2 %2002: 27.2 %2003: 27.1 %2004: 27.1 %2005: 26.4 %2006: 25.8 %2007: 25.2 %2008: 24.5 %2009: 23.9 %2010: 23.2 %2011: 21.6 %2012: 20 %2013: 18.6 %2014: 17.2 %2015: 15.8 %2016: 14.5 %2017: 13.3 %2018: 12.2 %2019: 11.1 %2020: 10.7 %2021: 10.3 %2022: 10.3 %2023: 10.3 %2024: 10.3 %

Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for using safely managed sanitation facilities: urban vs. rural population in Zimbabwe is 10.3%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

That represents a change of down 39.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, using safely managed sanitation facilities: urban vs. rural population in Zimbabwe peaked at 27.2% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 10.3%, in 2021.

Zimbabwe ranks 120th of 124 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

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

Using safely managed sanitation facilities: urban vs. rural population in Zimbabwe, year by year

Annual values for Using safely managed sanitation facilities: urban vs. rural population in Zimbabwe, 2000 to 2024.
Year % Change
2000 27.2% —
2001 27.2% +0.0%
2002 27.2% -0.1%
2003 27.1% -0.1%
2004 27.1% -0.1%
2005 26.4% -2.4%
2006 25.8% -2.4%
2007 25.2% -2.5%
2008 24.5% -2.6%
2009 23.9% -2.6%
2010 23.2% -2.7%
2011 21.6% -7.0%
2012 20.0% -7.2%
2013 18.6% -7.4%
2014 17.2% -7.6%
2015 15.8% -7.8%
2016 14.5% -8.0%
2017 13.3% -8.3%
2018 12.2% -8.5%
2019 11.1% -8.8%
2020 10.7% -3.6%
2021 10.3% -3.7%
2022 10.3% +0.0%
2023 10.3% +0.0%
2024 10.3% +0.0%

Zimbabwe compared with similar countries

  • Zimbabwe's 10.3% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 40.8%, 25% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
  • Zimbabwe's 10.3% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 29.1%, 35% of the median. (30 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 26.2% 23.9% 27.2% 10
2010s 16.8% 11.1% 23.2% 10
2020s 10.4% 10.3% 10.7% 5

Countries ranked near Zimbabwe

  1. 117 Madagascar 16.7% compare
  2. 118 Democratic Republic of Congo 15.2% compare
  3. 119 Togo 15.0% compare
  4. 121 Mali 9.8% compare
  5. 122 North Macedonia 8.2% compare
  6. 123 Colombia 7.2% compare

See the full ranking of 124 places →

More population data for Zimbabwe

All data for Zimbabwe →

Frequently asked questions

What is using safely managed sanitation facilities: urban vs. rural population in Zimbabwe?
Using safely managed sanitation facilities: urban vs. rural population in Zimbabwe was 10.3% 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 using safely managed sanitation facilities: urban vs. rural population recorded in Zimbabwe?
The highest recorded value was 27.2% in 2000.
What is the lowest using safely managed sanitation facilities: urban vs. rural population recorded in Zimbabwe?
The lowest recorded value was 10.3% in 2021.
How does Zimbabwe rank for using safely managed sanitation facilities: urban vs. rural population?
Zimbabwe ranks 120th out of 124 countries with data for 2024.
Is using safely managed sanitation facilities: urban vs. rural population rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
Over the last ten years it is down 39.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Zimbabwe 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 Using safely managed sanitation facilities: urban vs. rural population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Using safely managed sanitation facilities: urban vs. rural population in Zimbabwe. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 25 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/urban-vs-rural-population-safely-managed-sanitation/zimbabwe/

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About this data

Indicator
Using safely managed sanitation facilities: urban vs. rural population
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
124 places, 3,067 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

Proportion of people using improved sanitation facilities that are not shared with other households and where excreta are safely disposed in situ or transported and treated off-site.