Image: WaterAid/ Drik/ Farzana Hossen

Clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene are vital for living a dignified, healthy life.

Statistics can look stark. 

• 703 million people in the world – almost 1 in 10, don’t have clean water close to home. 
• 1.5 billion people in the world- 1 in 5 people doesn't have a decent toilet. 
• 2.2 billion people in the world – more than one in four – don’t have safe water. Almost 2 billion people in the world – one in four – lack soap and/or water to wash their hands at home, if they have a place at all.
• 570 million people in the world – 1 in 14 – have a decent toilet but have to share it with people outside their family. This compromises the privacy, dignity and safety of women and girls. (WHO 2023- Burden of disease attributable to unsafe drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene: 2019 update)
• Almost 400,000 children under five die every year due to diseases caused by unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene. That's more than 1000 children a day, or almost one child every one and a half minutes. (WHO 2023- Burden of disease attributable to unsafe drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene: 2019 update)

• Investing in safely managed water, sanitation and hygiene services provides up to 21 times more value than it costs. (WaterAid 2021- Mission-critical: Invest in water, sanitation and hygiene for a healthy and green economic recovery.)

But thanks to your incredible support, we’ve already reached millions of people in some of the toughest places in the world. We can’t stop there.

By working together, we can reach everyone, everywhere within a generation – and transform millions of more lives for good.

Please note: all statistics on the WaterAid website are from JMP, unless otherwise stated.