Global Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Challenges in 2025

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Access to clean water and proper sanitation continues to be a pressing issue worldwide in 2025. According to a recent joint report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, while significant progress has been achieved since 2000, stark disparities remain. Low-income countries struggle the most with eliminating open defecation and providing safely managed water and sanitation, slowing progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), which aims for universal access by 2030.

Sanitation And Open Defecation Status

Between 2015 and 2024, about 1.2 billion people gained access to safely managed sanitation services, raising global coverage from 48% to 58%. Currently, nearly 60% of the global population uses hygienic toilets with proper waste treatment.

• Developed countries have almost universal sanitation access.

• Open defecation has been completely eliminated in Latin America, the Caribbean, Eastern, and South-Eastern Asia, with Northern Africa and Western Asia approaching near elimination.

• However, low-income nations still report open defecation rates that are four times higher than the global average.

Drinking Water Access And Inequalities

Global access to safely managed drinking water increased from 68% in 2015 to 74% in 2024. Rural regions witnessed a 10-percentage-point increase, from 50% to 60%, while urban coverage held steady at 83%.

Despite overall improvements, significant gaps remain:

• People in the least developed countries are over twice as likely to lack safely managed water.

• Urban areas generally have higher coverage, but rural areas are improving at a faster pace.

Inequalities In WASH (Water, Sanitation, And Hygiene)

Within countries, disparities are prevalent. Rural populations, ethnic minorities, indigenous communities, and children experience the most limited access. Women and girls bear additional burdens, spending more time collecting water. Access also varies between communities with infrastructure, like roads, and those without, as well as among people with disabilities. Conventional national statistics often overlook small or marginalized populations, highlighting the need for inclusive and alternative data collection methods.

Scaling Up Efforts To Achieve SDG 6

To achieve universal basic WASH services by 2030:

• Lower-middle-income countries must double their current rate of progress.

• Low-income countries need a sevenfold increase in water access and an eighteenfold improvement in sanitation and hygiene services.

Accelerated and inclusive interventions are critical, particularly for marginalized communities. Safe water, sanitation, and hygiene are fundamental human rights that demand urgent attention.

Menstrual Health And WASH

The report also highlights challenges related to menstrual health in 70 countries. Women and girls face widespread barriers regardless of a country’s income level, affecting education, health, and social participation. Addressing menstrual health is crucial for gender equality and overall WASH improvements.

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