Proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural in Latin America and the Caribbean

Latin America and the Caribbean: Proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural was 0.7% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
0.7%
Change on year
down 36.3%
Rank
21st
of 35 groups
All-time high
9.8%
in 2000
All-time low
0.7%
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2000–2024

02468102000201220242000: 9.8 %2001: 9.3 %2002: 8.8 %2003: 8.4 %2004: 8 %2005: 7.5 %2006: 6.7 %2007: 6.3 %2008: 5.9 %2009: 5.6 %2010: 5.2 %2011: 4.8 %2012: 4.5 %2013: 4.1 %2014: 3.7 %2015: 3.5 %2016: 3.2 %2017: 2.8 %2018: 2.5 %2019: 2.2 %2020: 1.9 %2021: 1.6 %2022: 1.2 %2023: 1.1 %2024: 0.712 %

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2024, proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural in Latin America and the Caribbean stood at 0.7%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

That represents a change of down 36.3% on the previous year and down 81.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural in Latin America and the Caribbean peaked at 9.8% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 2024.

That places Latin America and the Caribbean 21st out of 35 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural in Latin America and the Caribbean, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural (%) in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2000 to 2024.
Year % Change
2000 9.8%
2001 9.3% -5.0%
2002 8.8% -4.9%
2003 8.4% -5.1%
2004 8.0% -5.2%
2005 7.5% -5.7%
2006 6.7% -10.3%
2007 6.3% -5.8%
2008 5.9% -6.1%
2009 5.6% -6.4%
2010 5.2% -6.7%
2011 4.8% -7.1%
2012 4.5% -7.5%
2013 4.1% -8.0%
2014 3.7% -8.6%
2015 3.5% -5.7%
2016 3.2% -10.3%
2017 2.8% -11.1%
2018 2.5% -11.5%
2019 2.2% -13.0%
2020 1.9% -12.0%
2021 1.6% -17.7%
2022 1.2% -20.9%
2023 1.1% -10.0%
2024 0.7% -36.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 7.6% 5.6% 9.8% 10
2010s 3.7% 2.2% 5.2% 10
2020s 1.3% 0.7% 1.9% 5

Countries ranked near Latin America and the Caribbean

  1. 18 Haiti 17.5% compare
  2. 19 Côte d'Ivoire 16.7% compare
  3. 19 Côte d'Ivoire 16.7% compare
  4. 21 Sudan 16.4% compare
  5. 22 Ethiopia 16.2% compare
  6. 23 Mauritania 16.2% compare
  7. 24 Mozambique 16.0% compare

See the full ranking of 282 places →

More infrastructure data for Latin America and the Caribbean

All data for Latin America and the Caribbean →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural in Latin America and the Caribbean?
Proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural in Latin America and the Caribbean was 0.7% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean?
The highest recorded value was 9.8% in 2000.
What is the lowest proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean?
The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 2024.
How does Latin America and the Caribbean rank for proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural?
Latin America and the Caribbean ranks 21st out of 35 groups with data for 2024.
Is proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural rising or falling in Latin America and the Caribbean?
Over the last ten years it is down 81.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Latin America and the Caribbean data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural in Latin America and the Caribbean. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-population-practicing-open-defecation-by-urban-rural-percent/latin-america-and-the-caribbean/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural (%)
Unit
%
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
282 places, 6,704 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed