The global sanitation gap
3.4 billion people lack safely managed sanitation and 354 million still practise open defecation, spreading preventable disease.
How this affects people
Without safe toilets and sewage treatment, human waste contaminates water, food and homes, spreading diarrhoea, cholera and parasites.
Coverage has improved — from 48% to 58% since 2015 — but not fast enough to reach everyone by 2030.
Look at what keeps the problem going
- 01Fast-growing informal settlements
- 02Underfunded water utilities
- 03Untreated sewage
- 04Poverty and lack of land tenure
What could happen next
The future leaves room for choices. Compare the outlooks, check what supports them and notice where the evidence becomes less certain
Slow, steady gains
Coverage keeps rising by around one percentage point a year.
The future is not a timetable. These summaries reflect published scenarios and trends, with deeper uncertainty at longer horizons. Choices made now matter.
Where could a useful response begin?
Begin with a question you can investigate. Compare the sources and follow related briefings to see how the problem connects to other lives and places. This prototype does not accept proposals yet.
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