The number of toilets, toilet types, and school enrollment rates: Evidence from Cambodia

Abstract

Using commune-level panel data for 11 years, we investigate whether there is a relationship between toilet facilities at primary and lower secondary schools and school enrollment rates in Cambodia. We differentiate toilet facilities by type (improved and unimproved) and by gender. We find that the number of improved toilets at both primary schools and lower secondary schools per boy/girl in the commune is positively associated with the school enrollment rate of boys/girls of the corresponding age range (7–11 or 12–14 years). A positive association between the number of unimproved toilets per boy/girl and the school enrollment rate of boys/girls was found only at the lower secondary-school level, but the association was much weaker than that for improved toilets. These findings suggest that the construction of improved toilet facilities might lead to higher school enrollment rates.