Despite major progress in sanitation, over 13,000 families in Sri Lanka continue to defecate in open areas, according to the Department of Census and Statistics’ 2024 Population and Housing Census.

The report reveals that 0.2% of the country’s 6.1 million households lack access to toilets, while 92.2% have private facilities and 5.8% share toilets with other families.

Colombo District records the highest number of families using public toilets (4,518), while Nuwara Eliya shows the highest rate of shared toilet use (5.2%), highlighting persistent sanitation challenges in estate areas.

Public health experts have urged authorities to strengthen rural sanitation efforts to ensure safe and hygienic toilet access for all households across the island.