How Many People Lack Access To Safe Water

Of the 2.1 billion people who do not have safely managed water, 844 million do not have even a basic drinking water service. 

This includes 263 million people who have to spend over 30 minutes per trip collecting water from sources outside the home, and 159 million who still drink untreated water from surface water sources, such as streams or lakes. 

In 90 countries, progress towards basic sanitation is too slow, meaning they will not reach universal coverage by 2030.
Of the 4.5 billion people who do not have safely managed sanitation, 2.3 billion still do not have basic sanitation services. 

This includes 600 million people who share a toilet or latrine with other households, and 892 million people – mostly in rural areas – who defecate in the open. Due to population growth, open defecation is increasing in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. 

Good hygiene is one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent the spread of disease. 

For the first time, the SDGs are monitoring the percentage of people who have facilities to wash their hands at home with soap and water.

 According to the new report, access to water and soap for handwashing varies immensely in the 70 countries with available data, from 15 per cent of the population in sub-Saharan Africa to 76 per cent in western Asia and northern Africa.