Only 56% Of Global Wastewater Was Treated Safely in 2020

According to data from the World Health Organization and UNICEF, just 56 percent of the world’s domestic wastewater flow was safely treated in 2020. This means the world is significantly off track to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring water and sanitation for all by 2030.

Wastewater treatment is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater (sewage) so that it can be returned to nature without environmental damage.

As the following chart shows, this average hides global differences, with 80 percent of household wastewater flow having been treated safely in North America and Europe and less than 30 percent treated safely in Sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Southern Asia. This trend mirrors disparities between regions with greater access to sewer connections, rather than on-site septic tanks.

Wednesday 22 March marks World Water Day, an international day commemorated by the UN to raise awareness of the 2 billion people living without access to safe water.