Most of the world’s population uses water, not toilet paper, for cleaning after using the toilet. Across South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, much of Africa, and parts of Southern Europe and East Asia, water-based cleaning is the default. Toilet paper dominance is actually the exception, concentrated mainly in North America, Northern Europe, and Australia.
South Asia and the Middle East
Countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal have deep-rooted traditions of washing with water. In many households, this means a small water vessel or a handheld spray nozzle mounted next to the toilet. The practice is tied to cultural norms about cleanliness that predate modern plumbing by centuries.
Across the Middle East, water cleaning is nearly universal. Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Egypt, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, and other Muslim-majority countries follow the Islamic hygiene practice known as istinja, which requires washing with water to remove impurities before prayer. This isn’t a suggestion or preference. It’s treated as an obligation, which is why you’ll find a handheld bidet sprayer or a small water container in virtually every bathroom in these regions, including public restrooms. The same practice extends across North Africa in countries like Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya.
Southeast Asia’s Water Traditions
In the Philippines, the traditional tool is the “tabo,” a small plastic dipper used with a bucket of water. It’s so embedded in Filipino culture that during water shortages, authorities have recommended it over bidet sprayers because it uses less water. Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Myanmar all favor water-based cleaning as well, typically using handheld bidet sprayers (sometimes called “bum guns”) mounted on the wall beside the toilet. In Indonesia and Malaysia, Islamic hygiene traditions reinforce what was already a regional cultural norm.
Japan and South Korea
Japan took water cleaning in a completely different technological direction. More than 80 percent of Japanese household toilets are now electronic bidet seats, according to government surveys. These “washlet” toilets, pioneered by the manufacturer Toto, offer heated seats, adjustable water temperature and pressure, air dryers, deodorizers, and even night lights. They’re standard in offices and public restrooms too, not just homes.
South Korea followed a similar path. Roughly 60 percent of Korean homes have electronic bidet seats installed. The technology is mainstream enough that you’ll encounter it in hotels, restaurants, and airports throughout both countries.
Southern Europe’s Bidet Tradition
Italy stands apart from the rest of Western Europe. Since 1975, Italian law has required every home to have a bidet. Regulations specify that each bathroom must include a toilet, a bidet, a bathtub or shower, and a sink, with minimum distances between fixtures. The bidet is a standalone porcelain basin next to the toilet, not a spray attachment. Portugal, Spain, and Greece also have strong bidet traditions, though without the legal mandate.
France, despite being the country that invented the bidet (the word is French), has largely moved away from it. Most French bathrooms built in recent decades skip the bidet entirely.
Africa
Water-based cleaning is widespread across the African continent, though the methods vary. In North African countries, Islamic hygiene practices drive the tradition. In sub-Saharan Africa, water cleaning is common across many cultures regardless of religion. Senegal, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania are among the many countries where water is the standard. In rural areas, this often means a simple water container rather than plumbing-connected sprayers.
Why Religion and Climate Shaped the Map
The global divide isn’t random. Two major forces shaped it. First, Islam’s hygiene requirements spread water cleaning across a wide band of countries from West Africa to Southeast Asia. When nearly two billion people follow a faith that treats water cleaning as a religious duty, it becomes the infrastructure default in those societies.
Second, climate and geography played a role. Toilet paper requires trees, industrial pulping, and large-scale manufacturing. Warm-climate regions with abundant water but fewer paper-production traditions naturally gravitated toward water. Northern Europe and North America, with vast forests and early paper-manufacturing industries, went the other direction.
The Environmental Trade-Off
The water-versus-paper divide has real environmental consequences. Americans alone use 36.5 billion rolls of toilet paper per year, consuming roughly 15 million trees. Producing a single roll requires about 37 gallons of water, 1.3 kilowatt-hours of electricity, and about 1.5 pounds of wood. The bleaching process adds 253,000 tons of chlorine annually.
A bidet, by comparison, uses about one-eighth of a gallon per use. The average toilet flush behind it uses about four gallons. So the water “cost” of washing is trivial compared to the water embedded in manufacturing the paper it replaces.
Health Benefits of Water Cleaning
There are medical reasons many doctors recommend water over dry paper. Research has found that bidet use at low or medium pressure with warm water can relax the muscles around the anus, producing an effect similar to a warm sitz bath. That pressure reduction helps people dealing with hemorrhoids, anal fissures, or recovery from anal surgery.
Warm water use for about 10 minutes has also been shown to increase blood flow to the area, which can speed wound healing after procedures. For people with constipation or difficulty with bowel movements, water stimulation has proven effective. In one study, bidet use triggered a bowel movement in 75 percent of patients with spinal cord injuries. Pregnant women in a Turkish study who washed before defecation reported significant improvement in constipation compared to a control group.
Dry paper, by contrast, can irritate sensitive skin, worsen existing fissures, and leave behind residue that water removes more thoroughly.
Water Cleaning Is Growing in Paper-Using Countries
The global bidet seat market is valued at roughly $4.3 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $6.75 billion by 2032. Asia Pacific holds the largest share at about 32 percent, but North America is the fastest-growing segment. The pandemic-era toilet paper shortages of 2020 introduced millions of Americans and Britons to bidet attachments for the first time, and many never switched back.
Modern bidet attachments that clip onto an existing toilet cost as little as $30 to $50 and require no special plumbing. Non-electric models connect to the existing water supply line with a simple T-valve and offer adjustable pressure, though the water will always be cold. Electric models, which need a nearby outlet, add warm water, heated seats, air drying, and remote controls. For renters or anyone hesitant about permanent changes, portable squeeze-bottle bidets offer a low-commitment entry point, though with much less water pressure.