There is also unequal access to improved sanitation between urban and rural areas in the region: the gap was approximately 30% in 2015. Levels of improvement in terms of access to sanitation differ considerably (WHO/UNICEF, n.d.). Since 2000, the proportion of people in rural areas with access to basic sanitation has increased by 0.8% per year, compared with 0.5% per year in urban areas (UNESCAP, 2017).