This Thai city is the 'global capital of toilet access'

The Global Public Toilet Index ranks cities by per capita public restrooms.

1 minute read

July 15, 2026, 6:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


White on black restroom sign with symbols and text in Thai.

A restroom sign in Chiang Mai, Thailand. | george photo cm / Shutterstock

An analysis from QS Supplies rates global cities based on data about publicly available restrooms, putting Chiang Mai, Thailand at the top of the list, with 92.7 public toilets per 100,000 people. According to OpenStreetMap data, this is the highest per capita count of any large city. 

Three Swiss cities take the second, third and fourth spots (Bern, Basel and Zurich, respectively, with 91.2, 79.4 and 76.5 toilets per 100,000 people). Salt Lake City comes in at number 5, boasting the highest number of per-capita toilets in the United States at 66.6 per 100,000. "In the early 20th century, Salt Lake City was the first Western US city to build underground 'comfort stations,' luxurious public bathrooms that were staffed by attendants but which eventually closed due to vandalism and upkeep costs. The city is currently in the process of revamping its park bathroom offering. While many parks host temporary or permanent toilet facilities, they tend to close during the winter months, making restrooms harder to find." 

The number of public bathrooms in U.S. cities drops precipitously after Salt Lake City. Honolulu takes second place in the United States with 56.5, while San Francisco has 32.6, New York City has 11.5 and Providence, Rhode Island comes in last with a dismal 2.6 toilets per 100,000 people.

Monday, June 22, 2026 in QS Supplies

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