Access to Rural Sanitation in India: Empirical Evidence from National Sample Survey
Duryodhan Muduli
Abstract
This study examines the socioeconomic and demographic determinants of access to sanitation services in rural areas among the major states of India. It employs unit level data from the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) 78th round (2021-22) Multi-Indicator Survey (MIS), encompassing 144,991 households. Utilising the binary logistic regression model, the analysis investigates the influence of household socioeconomic characteristics and regions on the likelihood of accessing safe sanitation facilities. The study reveals that higher income levels, better educational attainment, and socially non-marginalised section households exhibit a positive association with a higher probability of accessing improved sanitation services not shared with any other households. Substantial regional disparities in access to better sanitation were observed, with households in the southern, northern, and western regions demonstrating a greater probability of accessing basic sanitation than those in the eastern region. Thus, the study highlights the need for targeted policy intervention addressing deprivation in accessing improved sanitation facilities in pursuit of closing socio-economic and regional inequality.