Photo by Ajin K S on Unsplash (illustrative)
On 26 August 2025, the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme published its latest global report on household water, sanitation and hygiene, covering 2000 to 2024. It shows large gains since 2015, especially in rural areas, alongside big remaining gaps.
Key facts
Since 2015, 961 million people gained safely managed drinking water, lifting global coverage from 68% to 74%.
Rural coverage of safe drinking water rose from 50% to 60%, and 61 million fewer people drink untreated surface water.
1.2 billion people gained safely managed sanitation, raising coverage from 48% to 58%.
The number of people practising open defecation fell by 429 million, and in cities it has been virtually eliminated.
Why it matters
Clean water and a safe toilet at home prevent diarrheal disease, save hours of water-carrying each day, often done by women and girls, and help children stay in school. These gains reached hundreds of millions of people in the countryside, where needs were greatest.
Worth noting
One in four people, 2.1 billion, still lacks safely managed drinking water, and 3.4 billion lack safely managed sanitation. Progress must speed up several times over to reach the 2030 global goals.