8. Water: universal access to safe drinking water

Progress made: Nearly 1 billion additional people now have access to improved drinking water.

77% (4.1 billion people)

82% (5 billion people)

33% increase

1.1 billion people still lack access. Regional variations in water coverage:
Sub-Saharan Africa – 57%
East Asia and Pacific – 76%
Latin America and Caribbean – 86%
South Asia – 85%
Middle East and North Africa – 87%
CEE/CIS – 91%
Industrialised countries – 100%

Universal access to sanitary means of excreta disposal

Progress made: An estimated 1 billion additional people now have access to improved sanitation facilities.

51% (2.6 billion people)

61% (3.7 billion people)

33% increase

2.4 billion people still lack access, including half of all people living in Asia. Regional variations in improved sanitation coverage:
South Asia – 34%
East Asia and the Pacific – 48%
Sub-Saharan Africa – 53%
Latin America and the Caribbean – 77%
Middle East and North Africa – 83%
CEE/CIS – 89% in 1990 – 91%
Industrialised Countries – 100%