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Progress on Wastewater Treatment (SDG target 6.3)

Wastewater collection and treatment help protect freshwater systems, the oceans and also human health, as detrimental pathogens, nutrients and other types of pollution are prevented from entering the environment.

  • 56 % of the world’s domestic wastewater is safely treated (SDG indicator 6.3.1, 2020)

Available time series: 2015-2020
Number of countries (and areas) reporting in the last five years: 128
Proportion of world population covered by reporting in the last five years: 81%

Proportion of world land area covered by reporting in the last five years: 81%
Learn more about the indicator here
Read the latest progress report here

SDG target 6.3 is: ‘By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally’.

To track progress towards the target, SDG indicator 6.3.1 monitors the proportion of total, industrial and domestic wastewater flows safely treated in compliance with national or local standards.

Global status of indicator 6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater flow (safely) treated > Domestic (2020)

Proportion of wastewater safely treated (%)

Progress over time of indicator 6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater flow (safely) treated > Domestic

Status in different countries (or areas) on indicator 6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater flow (safely) treated > Domestic (2020)

  • Australia and New Zealand
  • Eastern and South-Eastern Asia
  • Central and Southern Asia
  • Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Europe and Northern America
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand)
  • Northern Africa and Western Asia

Status in different SDG regions of indicator 6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater flow (safely) treated > Domestic (2020)

Status of different components of indicator 6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater flow (safely) treated

Source data indicator 6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater flow (safely) treated

Country (or area), regional and world data for the latest year of reporting: 2015 - 2020

Country (or area), region, worldYear 6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater flow (safely) treated
Total Domestic Industrial
Albania2015-202010.9513.35
Algeria202076.17
American Samoa202069.01
Andorra2015-2020100100
Argentina202036.48
Armenia2015-20207.4740.08
Australia202076.17
Australia and New Zealand202078.84
Austria202098.6
Azerbaijan2015-202049.5857.4
Bahrain2015-202098.7395.6379.31
Bangladesh2015-20206.416.01
Belarus2015-202065.8256.47
Belgium2015-202010091.79100
Bermuda20201.5
Bhutan202040.99
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)202058.29
Bosnia and Herzegovina2015-202054.3646.8100
Brazil2015-20209.3533.03
Bulgaria2015-202010079.1953.82
Canada202077.06
Central African Republic20200.57
Central and Southern Asia202025.46
Chad20202.26
Channel Islands202091.33
Chile202090.53
China202064.78
China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region2015-202085.6647.18
China, Macao Special Administrative Region202069.5
Colombia2015-20207.9721.26
Costa Rica2015-202083.3423.27
Croatia2015-202063.6260.3224.74
Cuba202024.18
Cyprus202067.19
Czechia2015-202085.6890.1335.8
Democratic Republic of the Congo202012.26
Denmark202095.94
Djibouti202010.93
Eastern and South-Eastern Asia202065.47
Ecuador2015-202010031.11
Egypt2015-202032.1245.55
El Salvador202012.95
Estonia202091.06
Eswatini202017.91
Europe and Northern America202080.44
Faroe Islands20200
Finland202092.28
France202092.5
French Guiana202070.2
Gambia202011.15
Georgia202045.99
Germany202099.26
Ghana202012.13
Gibraltar2020100
Greece202092.65
Greenland202097.23
Guinea-Bissau202021.4
Hungary2015-202010089.56
Iceland202073.47
India202026.56
Iran (Islamic Republic of)2015-202035.1622.07
Iraq2015-202071.837.09
Ireland202083.42
Israel202093.09
Italy202094.74
Japan202097.82
Jordan2015-202089.2682
Kazakhstan2015-202011.2635.670.32
Kiribati202030.8
Kuwait202084.7
Kyrgyzstan202018.89
Lao People's Democratic Republic202010.1
Latin America and the Caribbean202040.84
Latvia2015-202064.8393.1550.37
Libya202016.63
Liechtenstein202098.12
Lithuania2015-202059.3593.3523.59
Luxembourg202096.35
Madagascar20209.3
Malawi20206.48
Malaysia202087.82
Malta202015.36
Mauritius202013.29
Mexico2015-20204560.0933.28
Monaco2015-202010096.8
Mongolia2015-202010010.43
Montenegro202045.07
Morocco2015-202040.1436.14
Nepal202037.2
Netherlands202099.81
New Zealand202085.14
Niger20204
Nigeria202048.29
North Macedonia20209.12
Northern Africa and Western Asia202062.69
Norway202075.66
Panama201553.4
Peru201576.14
Philippines202042.95
Poland2015-202036.2281.8571.09
Portugal202073.58
Puerto Rico202032.5
Qatar202099.55
Republic of Korea202099.53
Republic of Moldova2015-202016.6238.49
Romania2015-202062.4648.3230.8
Russian Federation202012.92
Réunion202074.16
Samoa202046.68
San Marino202090.19
Saudi Arabia2015-202060.0579.64
Senegal2015-202063.914.17
Serbia202027.05
Sierra Leone20208.39
Singapore2020100
Slovakia2015-202010079.79100
Slovenia202067.21
South Africa202061.29
Spain2015-202010086.02
State of Palestine202096.73
Sub-Saharan Africa202027.6
Suriname202023.82
Sweden202095.2
Switzerland202099.2
Thailand2015-20208.5424.4
Togo202015.04
Tonga202028.6
Tunisia202059.73
Tuvalu20202.04
Türkiye2015-202081.263.33
Ukraine202034.29
United Arab Emirates202095.91
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland202098.8
United Republic of Tanzania201522.7
United States of America202091.06
Uzbekistan202032.27
World202055.5
Yemen202034.4
Zimbabwe2015-202061.2322.99
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