Mexico: People using safely managed sanitation services (% of population)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Mexico's people using safely managed sanitation services (% of population) rose 0.04 percentage points on 2023 (from 62.71% to 62.75%).

Across the 23 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2023), the average change was +1.96 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.74 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.6 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.48 percentage points in 2022. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 2.08 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 97% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Mexico had the 70th highest value of the 140 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Mexico in the 2024 ranking

• Azerbaijan — 66th of 140: 68%
• Georgia — 67th of 140: 62.97%
• India — 68th of 140: 62.79%
• Algeria — 70th of 140: 62.49%
• Philippines — 71st of 140: 62.17%
• Eswatini — 72nd of 140: 60.84%

What this measures

The percentage of people using improved sanitation facilities that are not shared with other households and where excreta are safely disposed of in situ or transported and treated offsite. Improved sanitation facilities include flush/pour flush to piped sewer systems, septic tanks or pit latrines: ventilated improved pit latrines, composting toilets or pit latrines with slabs.

Limitations: There are three main ways to meet the criteria for having a safely managed sanitation service (People should use improved sanitation facilities that are not shared with other households, and the excreta produced should either be: treated and disposed of in situ; stored temporarily and then emptied, transported and treated off-site, or transported through a sewer with wastewater and then treated off-site). Many countries lack information on either wastewater treatment or the management of on-site sanitation. A national estimate is produced if information is available for the dominant type of sanitation system. If no information is available, it is assumed that 50 percent is safely managed.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 25 values

People using safely managed sanitation services (% of population) in nearby economies

• Argentina — 48.54% (2016)
• Brazil — 54.96% (2024)
• Chile — 95.13% (2024)
• Colombia — 18.69% (2024)
• Costa Rica — 26.29% (2024)
• Cuba — 45.88% (2024)
• Dominican Republic — 42.97% (2024)
• Ecuador — 49.29% (2024)
• El Salvador

More health data for Mexico

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 7.31% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 8.05% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 15.61 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 22.97% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 16.17 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 25.28% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 31.79 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 24.09% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population) — 7.57% (2025)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Mexico's people using safely managed sanitation services (% of population)?

62.75% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is up 45.01 percentage points from 17.74% in 2000. The highest value was 62.75% in 2024 and the lowest 17.74% in 2000.

How does Mexico rank?

70th highest of 140 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in people using safely managed sanitation services (% of population) unusual for Mexico?

In 2024, Mexico's people using safely managed sanitation services (% of population) rose 0.04 percentage points on 2023 (from 62.71% to 62.75%). Across the 23 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2023), the average change was +1.96 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.74 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.6 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SH.STA.SMSS.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO), uri: washdata.org, note: Aggregate data by groups are computed based on the groupings for the World Bank fiscal year in which the data was released by the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitorin… Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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