The World Health Organization (WHO) conducted two global surveys in 2011 and 2015 using the Hand Hygiene Self-Assessment Framework. In 2011, 2119 health facilities from 69 countries participated, and in 2015, 807 health facilities from 91 countries participated. In total, 86 facilities submitted results for both surveys; their overall score increased significantly (P<0.001) from 335.1 [standard deviation (SD) 7.5] to 374.4 (SD 90.5). In terms of WHO regions, the scores for the Eastern Mediterranean, Europe and Western Pacific regions all improved significantly (P<0.01). This represents a snapshot of the current position of global hand hygiene improvement efforts, outlining facility progress and highlighting the value of such an assessment tool.