Public restroom statistics span more than standalone toilets open to everyone. Comparable global data also covers institutional sanitation in schools and healthcare facilities, while observational studies show how fixtures, cleanliness and handwashing behavior perform in specific samples.
Key Public Restroom Statistics
The most broadly useful findings include:
- 427 million children lacked basic school sanitation in 2023 worldwide, according to an estimate covering the global school-age population.
- 78% of schools had basic sanitation service in 2023 globally, while 11% had limited service and 11% had none.
- School sanitation coverage ranged from 49% in low-income countries to above 99% in high-income countries in 2023, based on income-group estimates.
- 50% of schools in sub-Saharan Africa had basic sanitation in 2023, compared with 51% in Oceania.
- Only 24 of 51 countries with trend data were on track for universal basic sanitation by 2030, a trajectory-based forecast.
- 646 million children lacked school handwashing facilities with soap and water in 2023 worldwide, according to an estimate.
- 33% of schools lacked basic hygiene service in 2023 globally, making hygiene access distinct from toilet coverage.
- 3.85 billion people used healthcare facilities lacking basic hygiene in the 2022 report estimate, worldwide.
- 50% of healthcare facilities lacked basic hygiene services in 2022 globally, according to WHO and UNICEF.
- Only 21% of facilities in least-developed countries had basic sanitation in 2022, in the healthcare-facility estimate.
- All 55 observed public washrooms supplied tissue rolls, while only 20% supplied spare rolls during the study observation period.
- Nearly 90% of rubbish bins were improperly closed in the 55-washroom observation, a sample finding rather than a census result.
- 17.07% of observed public-restroom users achieved adequate hand-hygiene compliance in Northern Ireland during the initial COVID-19 weeks, in a consenting-user study.
- 498 users were observed in the Northern Ireland study, including 254 males, 244 females, 453 adults and 45 children.
- At current trajectories, 87% of schools would have basic sanitation in 2030 globally, a forecast rather than an observed outcome.
Contents
- Global public restroom access and school sanitation
- School restroom data on water, hygiene and menstrual health
- Healthcare facility restroom and hygiene statistics
- Public restroom cleanliness, fixtures and maintenance
- Public restroom handwashing behavior
- Public restroom inclusion and future service gaps
Global Public Restroom Access and School Sanitation
Public restroom access is not measured by one universal census. The UNICEF Data and WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) figures below describe institutional WASH services in schools, so they should not be read as counts of every toilet open to the general public.
In 2023, 78% of schools globally had basic sanitation service, while 11% had limited sanitation service and 11% had no sanitation service. The estimate translates to 427 million children lacking basic school sanitation in the global school-age population.
| School sanitation measure | 2023 estimate | Population or geography |
|---|---|---|
| Basic sanitation coverage | 78% | Global schools |
| Limited sanitation service | 11% | Global schools |
| No sanitation service | 11% | Global schools |
| Basic sanitation coverage | 49% to above 99% | Low- to high-income countries |
| Basic sanitation coverage | 50% | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Basic sanitation coverage | 51% | Oceania |
Coverage varied sharply by income group: the estimate ranged from 49% in low-income countries to above 99% in high-income countries. Among 144 countries with estimates, 106 exceeded 75% basic sanitation coverage in 2023.
Secondary schools had 83% basic sanitation coverage globally, compared with 75% for primary schools. Across the reported 2015–2023 period, the global school no-sanitation share fell from 22% to 11%, but only 24 of 51 countries with trend data were on track for universal basic sanitation by 2030.
School Restroom Data on Water, Hygiene and Menstrual Health
School restroom quality depends on water and handwashing access as well as the presence of toilets. In 2023, 23% of schools globally lacked basic drinking-water service, representing an estimated 447 million children.
The same global estimate found 33% of schools lacked basic hygiene service, affecting an estimated 646 million children who lacked school handwashing facilities with soap and water. Menstrual-health support was also uneven: 39% of schools provided menstrual-health education, and 31% had menstrual-waste bins in girls’ toilets.
| Geography or school group | Drinking-water coverage, 2015 | Drinking-water coverage, 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Central and Southern Asia | 50% | 84% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 43% | 45% |
| Oceania | 53% | 51% |
| Least-developed countries | 52% | 60% |
| Europe and Northern America | 97% | 98% |
These are observed coverage changes for the named period, not forecasts. The regional differences show why a global average does not describe the experience of every school or public-facing facility.
Healthcare Facility Restroom and Hygiene Statistics
Healthcare facilities are institutional settings, but their toilets and hand-hygiene points are important public-facing sanitation environments. A 2022 WHO/UNICEF estimate found that 50% of healthcare facilities globally lacked basic hygiene services, and 3.85 billion people used facilities lacking basic hygiene.
The estimate also counted 688 million people receiving care at facilities with no hygiene services. Facility type and location mattered: 87% of hospitals had point-of-care hand-hygiene facilities, compared with 68% of other healthcare facilities.
WHO and UNICEF, Half of health care facilities globally lack basic hygiene services – WHO, UNICEF
| Healthcare measure | 2022 estimate | Geography or facility group |
|---|---|---|
| Point-of-care water, soap or alcohol rub | 73% | Sub-Saharan African facilities |
| Water-and-soap handwashing at toilets | 37% | Sub-Saharan African facilities |
| On-premises protected water source | 78% | Global facilities |
| On-premises protected water source | 88% | Global hospitals |
| On-premises protected water source | 77% | Global smaller facilities |
| No water service | 3% urban; 11% rural | Global facilities |
| No-sanitation share | 3% to 22% | Latin America and Caribbean to sub-Saharan Africa |
| Basic sanitation | 21% | Least-developed-country facilities |
A separate WHO global report for 2021 estimated that 10% of healthcare facilities had no sanitation services, 1.8 billion people used facilities lacking basic water services, and 800 million people used healthcare facilities with no toilets. These figures use a different report period and should not be merged with the 2022 estimates.
WHO, Global progress report on WASH in health care facilities: Fundamentals first
Public Restroom Cleanliness, Fixtures and Maintenance
A peer-reviewed observational study examined 55 public washrooms during its study observation period. Its results describe that sample only, rather than a census of public restrooms.
All 55 washrooms supplied tissue rolls, but only 20% provided spare rolls. A door entrance was present in 78.2% of the washrooms, while nearly 90% of rubbish bins were improperly closed and almost 20% of bins were below hand dryers.
| Fixture or maintenance observation | Share of observed washrooms or bins |
|---|---|
| Washrooms with a door entrance | 78.2% of 55 washrooms |
| Washrooms supplying tissue rolls | 100% of 55 washrooms |
| Washrooms supplying spare tissue rolls | 20% of 55 washrooms |
| Rubbish bins improperly closed | Nearly 90% |
| Rubbish bins below hand dryers | Almost 20% |
| Uncovered sanitary bins in female washrooms | 46.4% |
| Washrooms without handwashing signage | More than 85% |
| Washrooms without shelves or areas for belongings | More than 50% |
| Dispensers invisible to users | 20% |
The study found that 46.4% of sanitary bins in female washrooms were uncovered. More than 85% of washrooms had no handwashing signage, more than 50% lacked shelves or areas for belongings, and 20% had hand-sanitizer or paper-towel dispensers invisible to users.
Public Restroom Handwashing Behavior Statistics
Fixture availability does not guarantee hand-hygiene compliance. During the initial weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, a peer-reviewed Northern Ireland study observed consenting users in public restrooms and recorded 498 people: 254 males and 244 females, including 453 adults and 45 children.
Only 17.07% of observed users achieved adequate hand-hygiene compliance. The study’s subgroup rates were 19.69% among observed males, 14.34% among observed females, 14.35% among observed adults and 44.44% among observed children.
These rates describe observed consenting users during a specific pandemic period. They are subgroup observations, not population prevalence, and should not be generalized beyond the study’s stated setting and measurement period.
Public Restroom Inclusion and Future Service Gaps
Current trajectories indicate continued progress alongside substantial gaps. The JMP projection for 2030 estimates that 86% of schools globally would have basic water service, 87% basic sanitation and 74% basic hygiene.
The same trajectory-based forecast estimates that 12% of schools would still have no water service and 12% no hygiene service in 2030. These are forecasts, not observed outcomes, and the JMP notes that its institutional WASH estimates may differ from national official statistics.
| 2030 trajectory-based projection | Global schools |
|---|---|
| Basic water service | 86% |
| Basic sanitation | 87% |
| Basic hygiene | 74% |
| No water service | 12% |
| No hygiene service | 12% |
Taken together, the figures point to several distinct measurement questions: whether a facility exists, whether water and soap are available, whether fixtures are maintained, and whether users practice adequate hand hygiene. Public restrooms open to the general public remain distinct from the school and healthcare indicators, while the sample studies provide narrower evidence about conditions and behavior.