List of countries by proportion of the population using improved sanitation facilities

Drinking water and sanitation coverage 2002.jpg facilities includes access to toilets and safe drinking water.

Methods
Figures used in this chart are based on data compiled and uploaded by the World Bank in May 2013 through their World Development Indicators initiative. The information was provided by the respective governments of the listed countries. As the compiled figures are not collected with the same methodology and with different levels of rigor, there are limitations in their reliability in forming comparisons.

Sanitation as defined by the World Health Organization: "'Sanitation generally refers to the provision of facilities and services for the safe disposal of human urine and feces. Inadequate sanitation is a major cause of disease world-wide and improving sanitation is known to have a significant beneficial impact on health both in households and across communities. The word 'sanitation' also refers to the maintenance of hygienic conditions, through services such as garbage collection and wastewater disposal."

The United Nations states that improved sanitation facilities "ensure hygienic separation of human excreta from human contact." They include in their definition:

The Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation of WHO and UNICEF has defined improved sanitation as follows:


 * Flush toilet
 * Connection to a piped sewer system
 * Connection to a septic system
 * Flush / pour-flush to a pit latrine
 * Ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrine
 * Pit latrine with slab
 * Composting toilet
 * Some special cases

The World Bank states:  "'Access to improved sanitation facilities refers to the percentage of the population with at least adequate access to excreta disposal facilities that can effectively prevent human, animal, and insect contact with excreta. Improved facilities range from simple but protected pit latrines to flush toilets with a sewerage connection. To be effective, facilities must be correctly constructed and properly maintained.'"

Countries
The following Table is based on The World Bank basic sanitation DataBank.