World Toilet Day 2026: Thursday, Nov. 19, and the 'Safe Toilets. Equal Futures.' Theme

World Toilet Day is Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026, according to the United Nations (UN), and this year’s campaign is “Safe toilets. Equal futures.” The UN’s observance page says World Toilet Day 2026 “is about sanitation and gender equality.” Below are the latest sanitation figures from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the date through 2031 and a free one-page sheet.

What is the World Toilet Day 2026 theme?

The UN page gives the campaign title as “Safe toilets. Equal futures.” and says the day is about sanitation and gender equality. Its calls to action include:

• “Help raise awareness of the link between sanitation and gender equality.”
• “We must invest in gender-responsive sanitation and make toilets a force for equality.”
• “Women must help shape sanitation solutions, working alongside men.”

The page also asks, “What action will you take for World Toilet Day 2026?” The UN’s page for the day offers downloadable resources for campaigns. It says the day is about the link between sanitation and gender equality, with “not everyone faces the same impacts” from the lack of safe sanitation.

How many people lack safe sanitation?

The UN page cites WHO and UNICEF for 3.4 billion people living without access to safe sanitation. The figures come from the report “Progress on Household Drinking Water and Sanitation 2000-2024: special focus on inequalities,” which WHO and UNICEF announced on Aug. 26, 2025.

Measure	Figure	Data year	Source
People without safely managed sanitation	3.4 billion	2024	WHO and UNICEF, Aug. 26, 2025
Of them, people who practice open defecation	354 million	2024	WHO and UNICEF, Aug. 26, 2025
People without basic hygiene services at home	1.7 billion	2024	WHO and UNICEF, Aug. 26, 2025
Of them, people with no facilities at all	611 million	2024	WHO and UNICEF, Aug. 26, 2025
Share using a safely managed sanitation service	58% (4.8 billion people)	2024	WHO Sanitation fact sheet, Nov. 3, 2026

Is World Toilet Day an official UN day?

Yes. The UN General Assembly adopted resolution 67/291, “Sanitation for All,” on July 24, 2013, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and the UN lists the day on its observances page. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goal target 6.2 sets the 2030 aim: “By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations.”

What weekday is World Toilet Day through 2031?

The date is fixed at Nov. 19. The weekdays are our calculation.

Year	Date	Weekday
2026	Nov. 19	Thursday
2027	Nov. 19	Friday
2028	Nov. 19	Sunday
2029	Nov. 19	Monday
2030	Nov. 19	Tuesday
2031	Nov. 19	Wednesday

Mark it on the November 2026 printable calendar. The same day, Nov. 19, is also the Great American Smokeout.

Which water and sanitation dates come next?

World Water Day is March 22, according to the UN, which is Monday, Mar. 22, 2027 (our calculation). Its 2026 theme was “Where water flows, equality grows,” and the 2027 theme is not announced. Put it on the March 2027 printable calendar. Global Handwashing Day, run by the Global Handwashing Partnership, is on Oct. 15. For another awareness day this month, see World Diabetes Day on Nov. 14.

What does the free World Toilet Day sheet include?

The one-page sheet lists the date and theme, the WHO and UNICEF figures above, and tick boxes for the UN’s four calls to action, with space to write the action you will take. It also lists World Water Day and World Toilet Day 2027. Sources are the UN, WHO and UNICEF pages listed below.