© 2024 Michigan State University Board of Trustees
Public Media from Michigan State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

PHOTOS: Peep At The Toilets Of 7 Families Around The World

This is likely a pit toilet. The idea is that there's a giant hole underneath the toilet. It's from Revben and Havenes Banda's home in a rural village in Malawi. They live with their five children and five grandchildren; their monthly income is $50.
Zoriah Miller for Dollar Street
This is likely a pit toilet. The idea is that there's a giant hole underneath the toilet. It's from Revben and Havenes Banda's home in a rural village in Malawi. They live with their five children and five grandchildren; their monthly income is $50.

If you search for images of "toilet" on Google, you'll get a page of sparkling white ceramic toilets.

That's the typical toilet for people in a high-income country. But not every toilet looks like that.

To get a better idea of the range of toilets around the world, take a look at Dollar Street. It's a project that catalogs everyday objects — like toys, soap, stoves and of course, toilets — to provide a snapshot of life at different income levels across the globe.

The project was created by Anna Rosling Ronnlund, the co-founder of Gapminder, a group that uses infographics to explain the world. In 2016, she commissioned photographers to take photos of objects in over 264 homes in 50 countries.

Here is a selection of toilet photos from Dollar Street. Jennifer Foster, a technical officer for PATH's WASH portfolio, a global health nonprofit, provided insights into the different types of toilets. Foster works on public health issues — primarily water, waste treatment and sanitation projects.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

This is also a pit latrine, according to toilet specialist Jennifer Foster: "Odds are [the waste] is going straight down into a pit." It belongs to Sabatrirani Bishash, a businesswoman living in Kahana, Bangladesh. She lives with her three children and has a monthly income of $125.
/ Gmb Akash for Dollar Street
/
Gmb Akash for Dollar Street
This is also a pit latrine, according to toilet specialist Jennifer Foster: "Odds are [the waste] is going straight down into a pit." It belongs to Sabatrirani Bishash, a businesswoman living in Kahana, Bangladesh. She lives with her three children and has a monthly income of $125.
This toilet is in the home of the Bui family in Hoi An, Vietnam. Thái, a tailor, and Gần, a fruit vendor, live with their two children and a grandmother. Their monthly income is $383.
/ Victrixia Montes for Dollar Street
/
Victrixia Montes for Dollar Street
This toilet is in the home of the Bui family in Hoi An, Vietnam. Thái, a tailor, and Gần, a fruit vendor, live with their two children and a grandmother. Their monthly income is $383.
This toilet belongs to the Singh family in Gurgaon, India. Shyam, a driver, and his wife Renuka, a nurse, live with their three children and have a monthly income of $369. The family has access to a water source in the bathroom for cleaning and hand-washing.
/ Zoriah Miller for Dollar Street
/
Zoriah Miller for Dollar Street
This toilet belongs to the Singh family in Gurgaon, India. Shyam, a driver, and his wife Renuka, a nurse, live with their three children and have a monthly income of $369. The family has access to a water source in the bathroom for cleaning and hand-washing.
This toilet is in the home of the Tamang family in Kathmandu, Nepal. Shyam, a laborer, and his wife Minu, a farmer, live with their five children and have a monthly income of $121.
/ Luc Forsyth for Dollar Street
/
Luc Forsyth for Dollar Street
This toilet is in the home of the Tamang family in Kathmandu, Nepal. Shyam, a laborer, and his wife Minu, a farmer, live with their five children and have a monthly income of $121.
This toilet belongs to the Legarda family in the Philippines. Judith and her husband, Joel, live with their four children and have a monthly income of $865.
/ Victrixia Montes for Dollar Street
/
Victrixia Montes for Dollar Street
This toilet belongs to the Legarda family in the Philippines. Judith and her husband, Joel, live with their four children and have a monthly income of $865.

Greta Jochem
Journalism at this station is made possible by donors who value local reporting. Donate today to keep stories like this one coming. It is thanks to your generosity that we can keep this content free and accessible for everyone. Thanks!