13.2.3 Willingness to pay for sanitation services

While affordability affects a household’s ability to pay for sanitation, willingness to pay is a motivational issue, i.e. whether individuals or households are motivated to pay for a product or service – or not. Willingness to pay for sanitation services can be influenced by numerous factors, including the following:

  • Expectations of subsidies: if a community has heard of subsidies being offered or planned, households may not be as willing to pay to acquire a latrine.
  • Perceived value for money: if a household has an unimproved latrine, it may not upgrade the facility if family members do not perceive much of a benefit, compared to the additional costs. Another example is where a household that does not perceive any value in hiring a mason to improve their latrine if they believe they can do it themselves.
  • Explain the difference between affordability and willingness to pay.

  • Something is affordable if a household has sufficient money to buy it (with cash or through a loan). If the household is willing to pay, it means that they think the price is reasonable for the product or service they will receive and there is nothing else they would rather do with the money such as spending it on something else or saving it.

13.2.2 Affordability of improved sanitation

13.3 Sanitation marketing