Proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural in World
World: Proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural was 4.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural in World, 2000–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
World recorded 4.3% for proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.4% on the previous year and down 61.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural in World peaked at 21.1% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 4.3%, in 2024.
That places World 9th out of 32 regions with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural in World, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 21.1% | — |
| 2001 | 20.4% | -2.9% |
| 2002 | 19.8% | -3.2% |
| 2003 | 19.1% | -3.4% |
| 2004 | 18.4% | -3.7% |
| 2005 | 17.7% | -3.9% |
| 2006 | 16.9% | -4.2% |
| 2007 | 16.2% | -4.2% |
| 2008 | 15.5% | -4.5% |
| 2009 | 14.8% | -4.7% |
| 2010 | 14.0% | -4.9% |
| 2011 | 13.4% | -4.6% |
| 2012 | 12.7% | -5.4% |
| 2013 | 11.9% | -5.7% |
| 2014 | 11.2% | -6.1% |
| 2015 | 10.5% | -6.4% |
| 2016 | 9.8% | -7.0% |
| 2017 | 9.3% | -4.9% |
| 2018 | 8.5% | -8.0% |
| 2019 | 7.8% | -8.6% |
| 2020 | 7.1% | -9.3% |
| 2021 | 6.4% | -10.1% |
| 2022 | 5.7% | -10.9% |
| 2023 | 5.0% | -12.6% |
| 2024 | 4.3% | -12.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 18.0% | 14.8% | 21.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.9% | 7.8% | 14.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.7% | 4.3% | 7.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near World
- 6 Solomon Islands 45.3% compare
- 7 Namibia 34.7% compare
- 8 Liberia 33.9% compare
- 9 Sao Tome and Principe 33.3% compare
- 10 Kiribati 32.4% compare
- 11 Togo 32.2% compare
- 12 Burkina Faso 29.9% compare
More infrastructure data for World
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 9.17 billion (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 111.5 per 100 people (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 815.00 million (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 9.9 per 100 people (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.0992 units per person (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -2.16 % change on previous year (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 815.00 million (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 1.12 units per person (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural in World?
- Proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural in World was 4.3% 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 World?
- The highest recorded value was 21.1% in 2000.
- What is the lowest proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.3% in 2024.
- How does World rank for proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural?
- World ranks 9th out of 32 regions with data for 2024.
- Is proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is down 61.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this World 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).