Comparability — Argentina [top]

The treatment of cesspools/cesspits differs. They are included with septic tanks in 1980 but are in "no access" in later samples. The 1991, 2001 and 2010 census questions appear comparable, but there is a decline in the number of households with septic tanks.

Comparability — Armenia [top]

The 2011 census question includes responses for both public and private sewerage systems. "Connected to the centralized sewerage system" indicates a household's connection to a public system, whereas "Local system" indicates that a dwelling unit has its own local or private network for drainage.

Comparability — Belarus [top]

The 2009 sample only indicates whether or not a household is connected to a sewer system.

Comparability — Benin [top]

The "septic tank" category of the 2013 sample is not comparable with the same category of 1992 and 2002 samples because it comprises those dwellings that use the public sewage system.

Comparability — Bolivia [top]

The variable is comparable across samples, with some minor universe discrepancies.

Comparability — Brazil [top]

The 2010 sample includes data for private households with a bathroom for exclusive use, while the 1960-2000 samples include all private households.

Comparability — Burkina Faso [top]

The variable is comparable across samples.

Comparability — Cambodia [top]

In 2019, the flush toilet not connected to a sewer or pit/tank is classified as "not connected to sewage disposal system".

Comparability — Chile [top]

Some samples combine responses for public sewage and septic systems, while others distinguish them.

The 1960 sample is a sample of individuals, not households. Only heads of households have most household-level information.

Comparability — Colombia [top]

The census questions vary. The 1973-1985 censuses identified dwelling sewage or septic tank connections.

Comparability — Costa Rica [top]

The 1984 sample does not distinguish between public sewage and septic systems. The 2000 and 2011 samples do distinguish between public and private systems, and lists other methods of disposal that are not connected to a sewage system such as a hole or latrine.

Comparability — Cuba [top]

The variable is comparable across samples. In 2002 and 2012, sewage disposal includes removal of waste and waste water.

Comparability — Côte d'Ivoire [top]

The 1998 sample does not include information from collective households. A collective household is made up of a group of people who are not necessarily related to one another and who live together in the same institution for reasons of health, education, work, travel, discipline, or otherwise.

Comparability — Dominican Republic [top]

The samples are largely comparable apart from extra detail in the 1981 sample. The 2002 and 2010 samples do not distinguish toilets connected to sewers or toilets connected to septic tanks.

Comparability — Egypt [top]

In the 1996 census, the question was asked to all households but was asked to only private households in the 2006 census. The 2006 sample contains more detail on households not connected to the sewage disposal network and distinguishes public "networks" from private "networks", the latter coded as "septic tank".

Comparability — France [top]

The 1968 French sample treats septic tanks differently than the 1975 and 1982 samples. In 1968, households with septic tanks are separately identified and are classified as having access to a sewage system, which is consistent with the coding of other countries. In 1975 and 1982, households with septic tanks are included with all other households not connected to a sewage system. The question was only asked to overseas departments in the 2006 and 2011 census and is not included in this variable.

Comparability — Germany [top]

This variable is available only in the 1971 and 1981 samples and are reported at the building level. Buildings indicating an "own building" sewage disposal system were coded as using a septic tank, whereas those reporting other methods were coded as not connected.

Comparability — Ghana [top]

This variable is available for the 2010 sample only.

Comparability — Greece [top]

In all samples sewage "sinks" are interpreted as not having access to a sewage system, but these might include septic tanks.

Comparability — Guatemala [top]

The data come from a census question on toilet facility type, and are generally comparable across years. In 1981, 1994, and 2002, the "washable toilet" is interpreted as not connected to the sewage system or to a septic tank.

Comparability — Honduras [top]

The samples are comparable.

Comparability — Hungary [top]

The 1970, 1980, and 2011 categories for "septic tank" also includes desiccators and cesspools, which would be coded as "not connected" in other samples where such information is available, including 1990 and 2001 Hungary.

A non-response in 1970 is interpreted as no access to a sewage system, which might inflate that category.

Comparability — Indonesia [top]

The data come from a census question on toilet facility type, and are generally comparable across years. They indicate whether the household has a private facility with septic tank; households that have shared or public facilities are classified as not having a connection, as the data do not separate these responses by disposal type, except in 2010 where this distinction can be found in the unharmonized source variables.

Although the questionnaires use the words "septic tank," the detail from enumerator instructions suggests that this represents any type of sewage disposal system.

Comparability — Iran [top]

In this sample, the census question distinguished the types of private sewage disposal of the household. Refer to the unharmonized variable to identify households with private sewage disposal provided by a town or a private building and those that drain into a septic tank.

Comparability — Ireland [top]

This variable is inferred from type of sanitary facility in 1971, 1981 and 1991. The 2002, 2006, 2011, and 2016 samples have questions specifically about sewage facility. The 1971 and 1981 samples only distinguish flush toilets from other types not connected to sewer or septic facilities. The 1991, 2002, 2006, 2011, and 2016 samples distinguish between households connected to the public sewage system and those with private disposal systems. Households reporting individual systems other than public and septic tanks are interpreted as not connected to the sewage disposal system in this variable.

In 1971-1991, this question was not asked of households living in caravans or mobile homes. In 2002-2016, information is available for private households.

Comparability — Jamaica [top]

Private sewage disposal includes drainage into septic tanks or absorption pits. The question was asked of all households in the 1982 census but changed to private households in subsequent censuses.

Comparability — Laos [top]

The 1995, 2005, 2015 samples explicitly ask residents about regular access to toilets, rather than ownership, and may not necessarily reflect presence of a flushing toilet within a given household.

Comparability — Liberia [top]

This variable is available for the 2008 sample only.

Comparability — Mali [top]

This variable is available for the 2009 sample only.

Comparability — Mexico [top]

The census questions speak to the elimination of waste water.

The 1960 sample is a sample of individuals, not households. Only heads of households have most household-level information.

Comparability — Morocco [top]

The responses in the 2004 sample are constructed from questions about toilet facilities that identified toilets connected to the sewer system and to septic tanks. Multiple responses were allowed for the 2004 census question, so there are some cases in which households indicate having a public sewage system connection and a septic tank. These cases were coded into the public system category.

Comparability — Nepal [top]

SEWAGE is constructed from the type of toilet facilities in the household. In 2001, flush/modern toilet facilities are by definition linked to the sewage system or a septic tank.

Comparability — Nicaragua [top]

The samples are comparable with slight differences in the universes. The disposal systems are coded according to use, regardless of ownership of the toilet facility.

Comparability — Palestine [top]

The census question was asked of all households in 1997, but it excluded households in the Gaza strip in 2007.

Comparability — Panama [top]

The data are comparable across samples.

Comparability — Poland [top]

A local system is defined as a septic tank servicing and owned by one (or more) neighboring buildings and it is categorized as "Septic tank (private sewage disposal)".

Comparability — Portugal [top]

The variable is comparable across samples.

Comparability — Puerto Rico [top]

The variable is fully comparable across samples. Septic tanks include cesspools, which may imply the waste was not necessarily treated.

Comparability — Romania [top]

In the 1977, 1992, and 2002 samples, dwellings with piping for their "own system" of disposal are classified as having septic tank systems. In 2011, this corresponds to connections to a private sewage disposal plant.

Comparability — Rwanda [top]

The dwellings that use sumps were classified as not connected to the sewage disposal system.

Comparability — Saint Lucia [top]

The responses for both samples are derived from census questions on toilet facilities, which identified water closets linked to sewers. Water closets not linked to a sewer (1980) or to a cesspit or septic tank (1991) are interpreted as connected to a septic system.

Comparability — Senegal [top]

The responses for the 1988, 2002, and 2013 samples are derived from census questions about toilet facilities, which identified toilets connected to the sewage system and to septic tanks.

Comparability — South Africa [top]

In 2001 and 2016, the responses are derived from census questions about toilet facilities, which identified toilets connected to the sewage system and to septic tanks.

Comparability — Spain [top]

The data is comparable across samples apart from changes in universes. The samples do not distinguish between public or private sewage systems.

Comparability — Togo [top]

The response for both samples are derived from census questions on toilet facilities. Connection to sewage is only identified by septic tank in 1960 and sewage system in 2010, other alternatives were considered as not having such connection.

Comparability — Uruguay [top]

Cesspools are included with septic tanks in all years. The source variable for 1963 allows them to be separated in that year. The 1985 sample also contains a category for sewage connection to a private networks -- this is assumed to be a private sewage system and is merged with responses indicating a public sewage connection, separate from septic tank responses.

Comparability — Vietnam [top]

SEWAGE is constructed from responses to the "type of toilet" question. The categories on the form and the instructions seem to suggest that flush toilets indicate a sewage system. The census question in 2019 only differentiates between flush (or semi-flush), other type, or no toilet.

Many households in the Vietnam 1989 sample lack dwelling information, including all households in some provinces.

Comparability — Zambia [top]

Group quarters are included in the universe in the 2000 sample; only private households are included in the 1990 and 2010 samples.