Over the last decade, thanks to commitment to the Millennium Development Goals, nearly all Nile Basin countries have made significant progress in providing safe drinking water to their urban population. However, the proportion of rural population with access to safe drinking water is low by international standards. Egypt is an exception where 99 percent of its rural population has access to safe drinking water.

There have been noticeable improvements in providing access to improved sanitation facilities in urban areas. However, still in seven of the basin countries, only less than 50 percent of the urban population has access to improved sanitation services.

Nile Basin countries have made progress in improving access to improved sanitation facilities in rural areas as well. Even so, in seven of the basin countries, onlyless than 30 percent of the rural population has access to improved sanitation services.