Share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation in Nepal

Nepal: Share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation was 82.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
82.7%
Change on year
up 3.0%
World rank
126th
of 186 countries
All-time high
82.7%
in 2024
All-time low
33.4%
in 2000
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation in Nepal, 2000–2024

0204060802000201220242000: 33.4 %2001: 35.1 %2002: 36.8 %2003: 38.5 %2004: 40.3 %2005: 42.2 %2006: 44 %2007: 45.9 %2008: 47.8 %2009: 49.8 %2010: 51.7 %2011: 53.8 %2012: 55.8 %2013: 57.9 %2014: 60 %2015: 62.1 %2016: 64.3 %2017: 66.5 %2018: 68.7 %2019: 71 %2020: 73.3 %2021: 75.6 %2022: 77.9 %2023: 80.3 %2024: 82.7 %

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

Analysis

Nepal recorded 82.7% for share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is up 3.0% on the previous year and up 38.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation in Nepal peaked at 82.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 33.4%, in 2000.

Nepal ranks 126th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 41.4% 33.4% 49.8% 10
2010s 61.2% 51.7% 71.0% 10
2020s 78.0% 73.3% 82.7% 5

Countries ranked near Nepal

  1. 123 Peru 83.5% compare
  2. 124 Cayman Islands 83.2% compare
  3. 125 Pakistan 83.0% compare
  4. 127 Marshall Islands 82.0% compare
  5. 128 Mauritania 81.5% compare
  6. 129 Sudan 81.1% compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More population data for Nepal

All data for Nepal →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation in Nepal?
Share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation in Nepal was 82.7% 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 urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation recorded in Nepal?
The highest recorded value was 82.7% in 2024.
What is the lowest share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation recorded in Nepal?
The lowest recorded value was 33.4% in 2000.
How does Nepal rank for share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation?
Nepal ranks 126th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation rising or falling in Nepal?
Over the last ten years it is up 38.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Nepal 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 urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation
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
186 places, 4,556 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

Proportion of people using improved sanitation facilities, such as toilets or latrines, that are not shared with other households.