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

Sierra Leone: Share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation was 36.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
36.7%
Change on year
up 3.1%
World rank
176th
of 186 countries
All-time high
36.7%
in 2024
All-time low
15.9%
in 2000
Years of data
25
2000–2024

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

0102030402000201220242000: 15.9 %2001: 16.2 %2002: 16.4 %2003: 16.7 %2004: 17.5 %2005: 18.3 %2006: 19.1 %2007: 20 %2008: 20.8 %2009: 21.7 %2010: 22.6 %2011: 23.5 %2012: 24.4 %2013: 25.3 %2014: 26.3 %2015: 27.3 %2016: 28.3 %2017: 29.3 %2018: 30.3 %2019: 31.3 %2020: 32.4 %2021: 33.4 %2022: 34.5 %2023: 35.6 %2024: 36.7 %

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 share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation in Sierra Leone is 36.7%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.

That represents a change of up 3.1% on the previous year and up 39.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation in Sierra Leone peaked at 36.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 15.9%, in 2000.

That places Sierra Leone 176th out of 186 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 18.3% 15.9% 21.7% 10
2010s 26.8% 22.6% 31.3% 10
2020s 34.5% 32.4% 36.7% 5

Countries ranked near Sierra Leone

  1. 173 Togo 38.4% compare
  2. 174 South Sudan 37.7% compare
  3. 175 Ghana 37.0% compare
  4. 177 Liberia 34.6% compare
  5. 178 Uganda 32.6% compare
  6. 179 Haiti 32.4% compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More population data for Sierra Leone

All data for Sierra Leone →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation in Sierra Leone?
Share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation in Sierra Leone was 36.7% 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 Sierra Leone?
The highest recorded value was 36.7% in 2024.
What is the lowest share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation recorded in Sierra Leone?
The lowest recorded value was 15.9% in 2000.
How does Sierra Leone rank for share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation?
Sierra Leone ranks 176th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of urban vs. rural population using at least basic sanitation rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
Over the last ten years it is up 39.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sierra Leone 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.