Brazil has 49 million inhabitants (24.3%) without adequate sewage treatment and 4.8 million without piped water, according to data from the 2022 Census released by the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics). Poor sanitation includes rudimentary cesspits, ditches, holes, and discharge into rivers and the sea.
The data shows that, in general, the percentage of the population served by a sewage system or septic tank, models accepted by the National Basic Sanitation Plan, has increased. In 2022, the rate was 75.7% of Brazilians, or 153.1 million —compared to 64.5% in 2010 and 59.2% in 2000. The increase occurred in all five regions of the country.
However, inequalities persist. In the North, 46.4% of inhabitants are served by adequate sewage, the lowest proportion in the country, while in the leading Southeast, the percentage reaches 90.7%.
Also, according to the 2022 Census, 97.6% of Brazilians (197.3 million) have piped water; in 2010, it was 93.2%.