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

Nigeria: Share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation was 59.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
59.1%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
149th
of 186 countries
All-time high
59.1%
in 2023
All-time low
28.3%
in 2000
Years of data
25
2000–2024

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

02040602000201220242000: 28.3 %2001: 28.5 %2002: 29.7 %2003: 31 %2004: 32.2 %2005: 33.5 %2006: 34.8 %2007: 36.1 %2008: 37.5 %2009: 38.8 %2010: 40.2 %2011: 41.5 %2012: 42.9 %2013: 44.3 %2014: 45.7 %2015: 47.2 %2016: 48.6 %2017: 50.1 %2018: 51.5 %2019: 53 %2020: 54.5 %2021: 56 %2022: 57.6 %2023: 59.1 %2024: 59.1 %

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

Analysis

Nigeria recorded 59.1% 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 29.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation in Nigeria peaked at 59.1% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 28.3%, in 2000.

Nigeria ranks 149th of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 33.0% 28.3% 38.8% 10
2010s 46.5% 40.2% 53.0% 10
2020s 57.3% 54.5% 59.1% 5

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 146 Cameroon 61.9% compare
  2. 147 Gambia 61.1% compare
  3. 148 Gabon 60.5% compare
  4. 150 Mali 58.0% compare
  5. 151 Comoros 57.5% compare
  6. 152 Rwanda 56.4% compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More population data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation in Nigeria?
Share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation in Nigeria was 59.1% 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 Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 59.1% in 2023.
What is the lowest share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 28.3% in 2000.
How does Nigeria rank for share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation?
Nigeria ranks 149th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is up 29.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Nigeria 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

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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.