The sanitation league table does not provide exact rates of access to sanitation, nor does it rank countries on this basis. Rather, the table groups countries in broad categories by percentage of people with access to sanitation according to the national definition. These definitions vary both in type of toilet facility and in its distance from the home. Because of these differences in definitions and also in data reporting methods and the quality of data, direct comparisons of countries achievements are difficult. Definitions may reflect countries level of economic development, urbanization and resources available for sanitation.
Rapid urbanization increases population densities and puts greater demands on sanitation facilities.
Pit latrines may be adequate for rural communities but may not be appropriate for urban areas. Therefore, more urbanized countries, such as Argentina and Brazil, record only flush toilets as adequate and report lower rates of access than poorer countries, such as Kenya and Tanzania. Discrepancies can also arise depending on whether data are gathered by routine government reporting or by surveys both of which were used in preparing the table. The rate of access to adequate sanitation is usually determined by dividing the number of sanitation facilities in a community by the number of inhabitants. Routine reporting may, however, rely on outdated census data or fail to take into account squatter communities or public sanitation facilities that fall into disrepair.