World Toilet Day

• 3.4 billion people still live without safely managed sanitation services — that’s nearly half the world’s population. (WHO/UNICEF, 2025)  • 354 million people still practise open defecation , increasing the risk of disease and harm, especially for women and girls. (WHO/UNICEF, 2025)  • Only 58% of the global population use a safely managed sanitation service — which means an improved toilet that is not shared, and has excreta safely disposed of in situ or transported and treated offsite. (WHO/UNICEF, 2025)

 At the current rates of progress, 3 billion people will still be living without safe toilets in 2030 . (WHO/UNICEF, 2023)  Globally, to achieve SDG target 6.2 –sanitation for all by 2030 – will require a six-foldincrease, on average, in the rate of progress on sanitation . In low-income countries, rates need to increase 13-fold for basic sanitation, and 21-fold for safely managed sanitation. (WHO/UNICEF, 2023)

November 19th was officially recognised as World Toilet Day on July 24, 2013, the result of our relentless commitment to raising awareness on the sanitation crisis and a resolution sponsored by the Singapore government on our behalf. During the celebration, NGOs, the private sector, civil society organisations and the international community come together to discuss sanitation issues with a different theme to mark the focus of each year.

Established by the World Toilet Organization in 2001, World Toilet Day was made an official United Nations Observance in 2013. Every year, UN-Water — the UN’s coordination mechanism on water and sanitation — sets the theme for World Toilet Day. For questions, contact us on: campaigns@unwater.org mentioning [World Toilet Day] in the subject heading.