World Toilet Day 2025

World Toilet Day 2025

Every year on 19 November, World Toilet Day invites us to pause and reflect on something so ordinary, yet so essential, that we barely think about it until it is not there: the toilet.

This year’s theme, “We will always need a toilet,” is simple but profoundly important. It reminds us that sanitation is not a luxury. It is a basic human right, a foundation for health, dignity, equality and opportunity. Despite global progress, millions of people still lack access to something as fundamental as a safe place to go.

A Global Crisis We Can Not Ignore

The statistics remain staggering:

• 3.4 billion people still live without safely managed sanitation services.

• That is nearly half of the world’s population.

For these billions, the absence of proper toilets means exposure to disease, unsafe environments, limited education opportunities and barriers to equality, particularly for women and girls. World Toilet Day keeps this issue on the global agenda, pushing governments, organisations and communities to take action.

Why Toilets Matter Closer to Home

While the global sanitation crisis demands urgent attention, it is important to recognise that challenges around toilet provision, accessibility and standards still exist here in the UK.

From public toilets closing due to funding cuts, to businesses overlooking the importance of clean facilities, to the ongoing struggle many disabled people face when trying to find accessible or Changing Places toilets, we have significant work to do.

Toilets are more than a convenience. They influence:

• Customer experience

• Staff wellbeing

• Hygiene and safety

• Inclusion and accessibility

• Business reputation

And for millions of disabled people, carers and families, a lack of accessible toilets does not just inconvenience their day, it can prevent them from leaving home altogether.

Accessibility: A Critical Part of the Conversation

Accessibility must sit at the heart of any discussion about toilets.

In the UK, many people still cannot rely on finding:

• Accessible disabled toilets that meet minimum standards

• Changing Places facilities with the space and equipment necessary for dignity

• Well-maintained, clean and safe washrooms in public areas

Accessibility is not optional.
It is a fundamental part of equality, dignity and participation in society.

World Toilet Day is a timely reminder that everyone, regardless of age, disability or circumstance, should be able to access a toilet safely, comfortably and with dignity.

How the Loo of the Year Awards Are Making a Difference

For nearly four decades, the Loo of the Year Awards (LOYA) has been shining a spotlight on the importance of toilet standards across the UK, with accessibility as a core focus.

Through inspections, gradings and awards, we:

• Encourage higher-quality, well-maintained and inclusive facilities

• Promote investment in hygiene, sustainability and accessible design

• Recognise businesses and local authorities leading the way in accessibility

• Support awareness of Changing Places provision

• Highlight the impact toilets have on customer experience and community inclusion

• Use our platform to raise both UK and global sanitation issues

Our mission is simple: to drive improvement, champion excellence and ensure toilets are valued for the essential facilities they are.

Why Awareness Matters

When people understand why toilets matter, positive change follows.
In the UK, awareness leads to better facilities, improved accessibility and greater recognition of the teams who keep these essential spaces running. Globally, awareness fuels advocacy and action for the billions still waiting for safe sanitation.

A Shared Responsibility

World Toilet Day is not just a date in the calendar, it is a call to action.

Whether it is a business investing in accessible facilities, a local authority reopening or upgrading public toilets, or organisations raising awareness of global sanitation issues, every effort matters.

This year’s theme says it clearly:
We will always need a toilet.
And together, we can ensure everyone in the UK and around the world  has access to one.

Where to Find More Information

If you would like to learn more, get involved, or improve your organisation’s toilet provision, here are helpful points of contact:

📧 worldtoiletday@un.org
(Managed by UN-Water — the organisers of World Toilet Day)
🌐 Visit: www.worldtoiletday.info

Changing Places Toilets (Accessibility & Inclusion)

📧 info@changing-places.org
🌐 Visit: www.changing-places.org