Global Progress and Inequalities in Water Sanitation
Access to safe water and sanitation remains a critical challenge worldwide in 2025. A recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF marks that while progress has been made since 2000, large inequalities persist. Low-income countries face the greatest difficulties in eliminating open defecation and ensuring safely managed water and sanitation. This hampers the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) aimed at universal access by 2030.
Current Status of Sanitation and Open Defecation
- Between 2015 and 2024, 1.2 billion people gained access to safely managed sanitation.
- Global coverage rose from 48% to 58%.
- Nearly 60% of the world’s population now uses hygienic toilets with safe waste treatment.
- Developed countries have nearly universal access.
- Open defecation has been eliminated in Latin America, the Caribbean, Eastern and South-Eastern Asia. Northern Africa and Western Asia have nearly eliminated it.
- However, low-income countries still have open defecation rates four times the global average.
Drinking Water Access and Disparities
Global coverage for safely managed drinking water increased from 68% in 2015 to 74% in 2024. Rural areas saw a 10 percentage point rise, from 50% to 60%, while urban coverage remained steady at 83%. Despite gains, inequalities are stark. People in least developed countries are more than twice as likely to lack safely managed water. Urban areas consistently have higher coverage than rural ones, but rural areas are improving faster.
Inequalities in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
Inequalities exist within countries and communities. Rural populations, ethnic minorities, indigenous groups, and children face the largest gaps. Women and girls spend more time collecting water, adding gendered burdens. Access varies between communities with and without roads and between people with and without disabilities. National statistics often miss small populations, calling for alternative data collection to ensure no one is left behind.
Required Scale of Action to Meet SDG 6
To reach universal basic WASH services by 2030, lower-middle-income countries must double their progress rates. Low-income countries require a sevenfold increase in water access and an eighteenfold increase in sanitation and hygiene services. Accelerated efforts are essential, especially for marginalised communities. WASH is a basic human right, demanding urgent and inclusive action.
Menstrual Health Challenges
The report also marks menstrual health issues in 70 countries. Women and girls face widespread challenges regardless of income level. These affect education, health, and social participation. Addressing menstrual health is critical for gender equality and overall WASH improvements.
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