Nearly 800 million people lack access to drinking water, sanitation 

Significant progress has been made in ensuring that people around the world have access to drinking water and proper sanitation facilities, according to a new WHO and UNICEF report published today, but nearly 800 million people still lack access to basic infrastructure. Here’s more:

• Drinking water: 1.8 billion people between 2000 and 2017 gained access to basic services for drinking water. In 2017, 80% of people who lacked access lived in rural areas.
• Sanitation: 45% of the world used facilities like indoor plumbing in 2017, an increase from 28% in 2000.
• Hygiene: 3 out of 5 people in 2017 had basic handwashing facilities — with soap and water — at home. Three billion people still lacked such facilities.