SDG 6 Global Intelligence Platform | Clean Water & Sanitation

📊 Executive Dashboard

Real-time global water and sanitation metrics • Data: UN-Water, JMP, WHO/UNICEF 2024-2025

🌍

8.1B

World Population

💧

2.2B

Without Safe Water

🚿

3.4B

Without Sanitation

🧼

1.7B

Without Hygiene

⚠️

419M

Open Defecation

🚨 Critical Finding
None of the SDG 6 targets are on track to be met by 2030
At current rates, 2B people will still lack safe drinking water, 3B without sanitation, and 1.4B without hygiene by 2030. A 6x acceleration is needed for water, 5x for sanitation. — UN SDG Report 2025

📈 Progress Toward 2030 Targets

Global Coverage 74%

2015: 68% Target: 100%

961M gained access since 2015. 6x acceleration needed. 2.1B still lack safely managed services.

Global Coverage 58%

2015: 48% Target: 100%

1.2B gained access since 2015. 5x acceleration needed. 3.4B without safely managed services.

Global Coverage 80%

2015: 66% Target: 100%

Handwashing facility with soap/water at home. 8x acceleration needed for universal coverage.

📊 Regional Water Access (% Safely Managed, 2024)

📊 Sanitation Progress 2015-2024

Water Use Efficiency

$21.5/m³

↑ 23% since 2015

Wastewater Treated

56%

Global average

Water Stress Level

18.6%

↑ 3% since 2015

IWRM Implementation

54%

↑ from 49% (2020)

🇸🇬

Singapore

100% water & sanitation | NEWater recycling leader | Smart water management

🇮🇱

Israel

90% wastewater reuse | Desalination pioneer | Drip irrigation inventor

🇰🇭

Cambodia

13% water access increase | 4x ODA growth | IWRM 46%→62%

🇷🇼

Rwanda

Fastest sanitation improvement in Africa | Universal access target by 2030

🚨

Sub-Saharan Africa

52% water access | 400M+ without safe water | Slowest progress globally

🚨

Central & South Asia

75%+ water stress | 1.4B+ at risk | Groundwater depletion crisis

🚨

Northern Africa

Critical water stress >100% | Desalination dependent | Climate vulnerable

⚠️

Small Island States

Limited freshwater | Sea-level rise threat | Climate adaptation urgent

🎯 SDG 6 Targets & Indicators

All 8 targets with 11 global indicators • Official UN Framework

📋 Complete SDG 6 Target Framework

Target	Description	Indicator	2024 Value	2030 Target	Status	Custodian
6.1	Universal safe & affordable drinking water	6.1.1 Safely managed drinking water	74%	100%	6x acceleration	WHO/UNICEF JMP
6.2	Sanitation & hygiene for all, end open defecation	6.2.1a Safely managed sanitation	58%	100%	5x acceleration	WHO/UNICEF JMP
6.2	Sanitation & hygiene for all, end open defecation	6.2.1b Basic hygiene services	80%	100%	8x acceleration	WHO/UNICEF JMP
6.3	Improve water quality, reduce pollution, halve untreated wastewater	6.3.1 Safely treated wastewater	56%	100%	Off track	WHO/UN-Habitat
6.3		6.3.2 Good ambient water quality	56%	100%	Needs data	UNEP
6.4	Water-use efficiency, sustainable withdrawals	6.4.1 Water-use efficiency ($/m³)	$21.5	Increase	On track	FAO
6.4	Water-use efficiency, sustainable withdrawals	6.4.2 Water stress level	18.6%	<25%	Regional concern	FAO
6.5	Integrated water resources management	6.5.1 IWRM implementation	54%	100%	Moderate	UNEP
6.5	Transboundary water cooperation	6.5.2 Transboundary cooperation	28%	100%	Critical gap	UNESCO/UNECE
6.6	Protect water-related ecosystems	6.6.1 Water ecosystem change	Declining	Restore	Deteriorating	UNEP
6.a	International cooperation & capacity building	6.a.1 ODA for water & sanitation	$13.8B	$114B/yr need	$100B gap	WHO/OECD
6.b	Community participation in water management	6.b.1 Local participation	Variable	Universal	Mixed progress	WHO/GLAAS

📊 Target Progress Comparison (2024)

📊 Acceleration Needed by Target

📈 Global Indicator Dashboard

Real-time tracking of all 11 SDG 6 indicators • Source: UN SDG 6 Data Portal

6.1.1 Safe Water

74%

↑ 6% since 2015

6.2.1a Sanitation

58%

↑ 10% since 2015

6.2.1b Hygiene

80%

↑ 14% since 2015

6.3.1 Wastewater

56%

Safely treated

6.3.2 Water Quality

56%

Good quality

6.4.1 Efficiency

$21.5

↑ 23% per m³

6.4.2 Water Stress

18.6%

↑ 3% since 2015

6.5.1 IWRM

54%

↑ 5% since 2020

6.5.2 Transboundary

28%

With arrangements

📊 Data Coverage
160 countries with safely managed water data • 142 countries with sanitation data
Data availability has increased by 50% during the SDG period, from 95 to 142 countries for indicator 6.1.1. However, only ~60,000 of 2 million water quality records come from the lowest income half of the world.

📊 Indicator Progress Timeline (2015-2024)

🗺️ Regional Analysis

Water & sanitation status by SDG region • 2024 data

🌍 Regional WASH Coverage (% Population, 2024)

Region	Safe Water	Safe Sanitation	Basic Hygiene	Open Defecation	Water Stress	Status
🌍 Sub-Saharan Africa	32%	24%	36%	17%	5%	Critical
🌏 Central & South Asia	60%	52%	69%	8%	75%+	High Stress
🌏 Eastern & SE Asia	78%	75%	81%	1%	22%	Moderate
🌎 Latin America & Caribbean	81%	55%	87%	2%	8%	Moderate
🌍 Northern Africa & Western Asia	90%	75%	88%	2%	100%+	Critical Stress
🌏 Oceania (exc. Aus/NZ)	54%	31%	48%	5%	Low	Vulnerable
🌍 Europe & North America	98%	92%	98%	<1%	10%	On Track
🌏 Australia & New Zealand	100%	100%	99%	0%	6%	Achieved

📊 Regional Water Access Comparison

📊 Water Stress by Region

🚨 Priority Acceleration Areas

Sub-Saharan Africa

400M+ without safe water. Open defecation persists. Needs 12x acceleration. Focus: rural infrastructure, community management.

Most critical region

Central & South Asia

1.4B+ face water stress. Groundwater depletion. India's Jal Jeevan Mission reaching 150M+ households.

Water stress critical

Northern Africa

Water stress >100% of renewable resources. Dependent on desalination. Climate change amplifying scarcity.

Extreme water stress

🌍 Country Profiles

193 UN Member States • Water and sanitation status database

🌍 Country WASH Database (Top 50 by Population)

🔍

Country	Population	Safe Water %	Sanitation %	Hygiene %	Water Stress	ODA Received	Status
🇨🇳 China	1,412M	95%	85%	92%	43%	-	On Track
🇮🇳 India	1,417M	71%	52%	69%	75%	$1.2B	Moderate
🇺🇸 United States	334M	99%	95%	99%	22%	-	Achieved
🇮🇩 Indonesia	277M	78%	76%	80%	12%	$350M	Moderate
🇵🇰 Pakistan	231M	56%	42%	52%	70%	$280M	Critical
🇧🇷 Brazil	215M	84%	53%	89%	2%	$120M	Moderate
🇳🇬 Nigeria	218M	38%	26%	42%	8%	$890M	Critical
🇧🇩 Bangladesh	170M	59%	53%	74%	6%	$520M	Moderate
🇷🇺 Russia	144M	91%	78%	95%	3%	-	On Track
🇲🇽 Mexico	128M	76%	62%	87%	43%	$85M	Moderate
🇯🇵 Japan	124M	99%	98%	99%	21%	-	Achieved
🇪🇹 Ethiopia	120M	18%	12%	22%	18%	$1.1B	Critical
🇵🇭 Philippines	115M	52%	47%	68%	20%	$210M	Moderate
🇪🇬 Egypt	104M	99%	67%	95%	117%	$180M	Extreme Stress
🇻🇳 Vietnam	99M	55%	79%	86%	8%	$165M	Moderate
🇨🇩 DR Congo	99M	22%	14%	24%	1%	$420M	Critical
🇹🇷 Turkey	85M	98%	89%	96%	40%	-	On Track
🇮🇷 Iran	87M	96%	88%	98%	72%	-	High Stress
🇩🇪 Germany	84M	100%	99%	100%	13%	-	Achieved
🇹🇭 Thailand	72M	89%	82%	89%	21%	$45M	On Track
🇬🇧 United Kingdom	67M	100%	99%	100%	6%	-	Achieved
🇹🇿 Tanzania	64M	38%	24%	48%	13%	$680M	Critical
🇿🇦 South Africa	60M	75%	56%	82%	34%	$95M	Moderate
🇰🇪 Kenya	54M	32%	28%	38%	14%	$580M	Critical
🇸🇬 Singapore	6M	100%	100%	100%	Low	-	World Leader

🏢 Organizations Database

75+ UN agencies, NGOs, foundations, and partnerships working on SDG 6

🏛️ UN Agencies & International Organizations

🔍

Organization	Type	Focus Areas	Annual Budget	Countries	SDG 6 Role
UN-Water	UN Coordination	All SDG 6 targets	$15M	193	Overall SDG 6 coordination
WHO	UN Agency	Water quality, hygiene, health	$6.7B	194	6.1, 6.2, 6.3 custodian
UNICEF	UN Agency	WASH in schools, emergencies	$7.9B	190	JMP co-custodian
UN-Habitat	UN Agency	Urban water, sanitation	$530M	90+	6.3 urban sanitation
FAO	UN Agency	Water for agriculture	$3.2B	194	6.4 water efficiency custodian
UNEP	UN Agency	Ecosystems, water quality	$850M	193	6.3, 6.5, 6.6 custodian
UNESCO	UN Agency	Transboundary water, education	$1.2B	195	6.5.2 custodian
World Bank	MDB	Infrastructure financing	$104B (total)	189	Major WASH funder
UNECE	UN Commission	Transboundary water cooperation	$65M	56	Water Convention secretariat
UNDP	UN Agency	Governance, capacity building	$5.6B	170	WASH governance support
WaterAid	INGO	Water, sanitation, hygiene	$120M	28	29M reached with water
Water.org	INGO	Microfinance for WASH	$85M	17	75M+ lives changed
charity: water	INGO	Rural water projects	$98M	29	91,000+ water projects
World Vision	INGO	Community WASH	$3.2B (total)	100+	4.6M/yr water access
IRC	Research/Implementation	Systems strengthening	$32M	20+	Research & implementation
Sanitation & Water for All	Partnership	Political accountability	$8M	90+	High-level meetings
Global Water Partnership	Network	IWRM	$25M	183	IWRM implementation
GWSP (World Bank)	Partnership	Sector strengthening	$50M	40+	Knowledge, reform support
Lifewater International	INGO	Rural WASH	$15M	12	Rural focus, SE Asia, Africa
WASH United	NGO	Hygiene, menstrual health	$3M	15+	Behavior change

🏭 Companies & Technology

50+ leading water technology and utility companies • $350B+ market

💰

$348B

Global Water Market (2024)

📈

6.5%

CAGR to 2034

🔧

$652B

Projected 2034

🌏

34%

Asia-Pacific Share

🏭 Leading Water Technology Companies

Company	Country	Specialization	Revenue	Employees	Key Technologies
Veolia	🇫🇷 France	Water, Waste, Energy	€45.4B	215,000	Treatment, recycling, smart water
Xylem	🇺🇸 USA	Water Technology	$8.1B	23,000	Pumps, analytics, treatment
SUEZ (new)	🇫🇷 France	Water & Waste	€8.5B	40,000	Treatment, recycling, digital
Ecolab	🇺🇸 USA	Water Treatment Chemicals	$14.4B	48,000	Chemicals, services
DuPont Water	🇺🇸 USA	Membranes, Filtration	$3.8B	5,000	RO membranes, UF
Kurita Water	🇯🇵 Japan	Industrial Water	¥380B	8,500	Treatment chemicals, equipment
Pentair	🇺🇸 USA	Residential & Industrial	$3.6B	11,500	Filtration, flow control
IDEX	🇺🇸 USA	Pumps, Flow Control	$3.3B	8,400	Industrial pumps
Grundfos	🇩🇰 Denmark	Pumps	€4.6B	20,000	Energy-efficient pumps
Danaher (Pall)	🇺🇸 USA	Filtration	$31.5B (total)	80,000	Membranes, life sciences
Evoqua	🇺🇸 USA	Treatment Solutions	$1.7B	5,000	UV, ozone, filtration
Thermax	🇮🇳 India	Industrial Water	₹10,389Cr	4,500	Treatment, recycling
IDEXX	🇺🇸 USA	Water Testing	$3.7B	11,000	Diagnostics, testing
Kemira	🇫🇮 Finland	Water Chemicals	€3.5B	5,000	Coagulants, flocculants
Itron	🇺🇸 USA	Smart Water Metering	$2.3B	5,600	Smart meters, AMI

🚀 Emerging Technologies

💧 Desalination

$28B market by 2030. Energy costs down 80% since 2000. Solar-powered plants emerging. Key for water-stressed regions.

🧠 AI & IoT Smart Water

$22B to $58B by 2033 (14.9% CAGR). Leak detection, predictive maintenance, quality monitoring.

♻️ Water Reuse

Direct potable reuse growing. Singapore's NEWater model. 90%+ reuse rates achievable in industry.

🔬 Advanced Membranes

UF/NF/RO innovations. PFAS removal technologies. Graphene membranes in development.

⚡ Energy Recovery

Wastewater to energy. Biogas from sludge. Net-zero treatment plants becoming feasible.

🛰️ Remote Sensing

Satellite water monitoring. Groundwater detection. Flood/drought early warning systems.

💰 Investment & Financing

SDG 6 financing landscape • ODA, private investment, blended finance

💰 Financing Gap
$114 billion annual investment needed • Only $13.8B ODA currently flowing
The financing gap for achieving SDG 6 by 2030 is approximately $100 billion per year. Current ODA for water and sanitation represents only ~12% of needs. Private sector and domestic resources must be mobilized at unprecedented scale.

Annual Investment Need

$114B

Per year to 2030

Current ODA (2023)

$13.8B

↑ 8% from 2022

Private Investment

$15.2B

Growing slowly

Annual Shortfall

$100B+

Critical gap

📊 Water & Sanitation ODA by Recipient Region (2023)

📊 ODA Trend 2015-2023 ($B)

🏦 Top Water & Sanitation Donors (2023)

Rank	Donor	ODA Amount	% of Total	Focus Regions	Primary Channels
1	🇯🇵 Japan	$2.8B	20%	Asia, Africa	Bilateral, JICA
2	🇩🇪 Germany	$1.9B	14%	Africa, MENA	KfW, GIZ
3	🇺🇸 United States	$1.4B	10%	Africa, Asia	USAID, MCC
4	🇫🇷 France	$1.2B	9%	Francophone Africa	AFD
5	🏛️ World Bank/IDA	$4.5B	33%	Global	Loans, grants
6	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	$0.8B	6%	Africa, S. Asia	FCDO
7	🏛️ Asian Dev Bank	$2.1B	15%	Asia-Pacific	Loans
8	🏛️ African Dev Bank	$1.8B	13%	Africa	Loans, grants
9	🇳🇱 Netherlands	$0.5B	4%	Africa, Asia	Bilateral
10	🇸🇪 Sweden	$0.3B	2%	LDCs	Sida

💡 Innovative Financing Mechanisms

WaterCredit (Water.org)

$7.4B mobilized through microfinance. 75M+ people reached. Small loans enable household WASH investments.

Green/Blue Bonds

$5.6B water-related green bonds (2023). Growing institutional investor interest. ESG alignment driving growth.

Blended Finance

Catalytic capital de-risking private investment. Convergence estimates $2B+ in WASH blended finance.

📉 Advanced Analytics

2030 projections, scenario modeling, and acceleration pathways

🔮 2030 Scenario Projections

81%

Safe Water 2030

68%

Sanitation 2030

85%

Hygiene 2030

At current rates: 2B without safe water, 3B without sanitation, 1.4B without hygiene in 2030. Universal coverage not achieved until ~2049 for water, ~2060 for sanitation.

95%+

Safe Water 2030

90%+

Sanitation 2030

95%+

Hygiene 2030

With accelerated investment ($114B/yr), policy reform, and technology adoption: 400M+ additional people gain access. Near-universal coverage achievable.

📊 Projected Coverage Trajectories (2024-2030)

🚀 Acceleration Levers

💰 Financing

10x increase in investment. Innovative financing. Domestic resource mobilization. Private sector engagement.

🏛️ Governance

Regulatory reform. IWRM implementation. Transboundary cooperation. Decentralization.

🔧 Technology

Smart water systems. Low-cost treatment. Decentralized solutions. Digital monitoring.

👥 Capacity

Workforce development. Community engagement. Institutional strengthening. Knowledge sharing.

📚 Reports & Data Resources

Official UN reports, data portals, and research resources

📊 UN-Water SDG 6 Data Portal

Official platform integrating all SDG 6 indicators. Country-level data visualization. Interactive analysis tools.

📄 SDG 6 Progress Report 2025

Comprehensive UN report on all targets and indicators. Regional analysis. Acceleration strategies.

🔬 WHO/UNICEF JMP

Joint Monitoring Programme. 2000-2024 data. Household WASH estimates. School and healthcare facility data.

🏛️ UN-Water GLAAS

Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water. 140+ countries. Governance and financing data.

🌍 FAO AQUASTAT

Global water resources and agricultural water use database. Water withdrawal, efficiency, stress data.

💧 UN-Water Publications

World Water Development Reports. Synthesis reports. Policy briefs and guidelines.

📚 Key Reports & Publications (2024-2025)

Report	Publisher	Date	Focus
Progress on Household WASH 2000-2024	WHO/UNICEF JMP	Sep 2025	6.1, 6.2 indicators
SDG 6 Extended Report 2025	UN Statistics	Jul 2025	All SDG 6 targets
World Water Development Report 2024	UNESCO	Mar 2024	Water for Peace
GLAAS 2024/2025 Report	WHO/UN-Water	2025	Governance, financing
Summary Brief: Mid-term SDG 6 Status	UN-Water	Aug 2024	Acceleration needs
Global Water Security Report	World Bank	2024	Investment needs
State of the World's Sanitation	UNICEF/WHO	2024	Sanitation deep dive
Transboundary Waters Assessment	UNECE/UNESCO	2024	6.5.2 analysis

🔬 Methodology

Data sources, definitions, and monitoring framework

The Integrated Monitoring Initiative for SDG 6 (IMI-SDG6) coordinates global monitoring of all SDG 6 targets and indicators through UN custodian agencies:

💧

WHO/UNICEF JMP

Indicators 6.1.1 and 6.2.1 (water, sanitation, hygiene). Uses household surveys, census data, administrative records. Service ladder methodology: surface water → unimproved → limited → basic → safely managed.

🏭

UN-Habitat/WHO

Indicator 6.3.1 (wastewater treatment). Data from national statistics, utility reports, treatment plant records.

🌿

UNEP

Indicators 6.3.2, 6.5.1, 6.6.1 (water quality, IWRM, ecosystems). Uses country surveys, remote sensing, in-situ monitoring.

🌾

FAO

Indicators 6.4.1 and 6.4.2 (water efficiency, water stress). AQUASTAT database. National water accounts.

🤝

UNESCO/UNECE

Indicator 6.5.2 (transboundary cooperation). Survey of countries sharing waters. Treaty and agreement analysis.

💰

WHO/OECD

Indicator 6.a.1 (ODA for WASH). OECD-CRS database. GLAAS country survey.

📊 Data Definitions
Safely Managed Services = Improved source + located on premises + available when needed + free from contamination
Basic services = improved source within 30 min round trip. Limited = improved source >30 min. Unimproved = unprotected source. Surface water = direct collection from rivers, lakes, ponds.