What we count
Deaths from diarrhoeal and other diseases attributable to inadequate WASH services in a population risk analysis.
Deaths attributable to unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene this year
How many deaths WHO attributes to unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene.
Continuously calculated
WORLDRelated numbers in context
4,343,836deaths attributable to tobacco this year
1,613,425deaths attributable to alcohol this year
451,138deaths by suicide this year
What lies behind this number
Deaths from diarrhoeal and other diseases attributable to inadequate WASH services in a population risk analysis.
How the source derives it
The source combines national reporting, registries and surveys, using transparent statistical estimates where complete data are unavailable.
What one number cannot show
This is an attributable burden calculated from risks, not a cause-of-death box used on every death certificate.
Source value
The calculation uses the latest published annual value from WHO Burden of disease attributable to unsafe WASH for 2019.
How the value is used: The running number shows the share corresponding to time since the start of the year.
Annual value1,400,000deaths
- Period
- 2019
- Status
- published
- Primary data source
- WHO Burden of disease attributable to unsafe WASH
How the number is calculated
We distribute the published annual value evenly across the elapsed share of the calendar year.
Formula used
V(t) = Vyear × elapsed share of the yearAnnual reference value1,400,0002019 · deaths
Average per day3,833even time-based calculation
Calculation interval0.1 sContinuously calculated
Source value
WHO Burden of disease attributable to unsafe WASH reports the latest published figure used on this page for 2019.
Calculation method
We distribute the published annual value evenly across the elapsed share of the calendar year.
Smooth display
The result is recalculated on screen every 0.1 seconds.
Where the data comes from
The source value comes from WHO Burden of disease attributable to unsafe WASH and refers to 2019. It is the latest figure published by this source. The source combines national reporting, registries and surveys, using transparent statistical estimates where complete data are unavailable.
Latest published and verified source value
Primary data source
WHO Burden of disease attributable to unsafe WASH
Source edition: 2023
Open source ↗- Publisher
- WHO Burden of disease attributable to unsafe WASH
- Data period
- 2019
- Verified
- 12 August 2026
- Coverage
- Worldwide
- Use
- Even time-based calculation