From 2007 onwards, the world urban population will be greater than the rural population. From the baseline in 1990 to the target date in 2015, the number of rural dwellers without access to basic sanitation will decrease, whereas the number of urban residents without access will increase. Yet the relative situation of the rural population in 2015 will still be very unfavourable: the number of unserved rural dwellers will be more than twice the number of unserved urban residents.