Proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe: Proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural was 12.6% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
12.6%
Change on year
down 6.7%
World rank
28th
of 213 countries
All-time high
33.1%
in 2000
All-time low
12.6%
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural in Zimbabwe, 2000–2024

01020302000201220242000: 33.12001: 32.92002: 31.82003: 312004: 30.22005: 29.32006: 28.52007: 27.72008: 26.82009: 262010: 25.22011: 24.32012: 23.52013: 22.62014: 21.72015: 20.92016: 202017: 19.12018: 18.22019: 17.22020: 16.32021: 15.42022: 14.42023: 13.52024: 12.6

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

Zimbabwe recorded 12.6% for proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is down 6.7% on the previous year and down 41.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural in Zimbabwe peaked at 33.1% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 12.6%, in 2024.

Zimbabwe ranks 28th of 213 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

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 Zimbabwe, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural (%) in Zimbabwe, 2000 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2000 33.1%
2001 32.9% -0.6%
2002 31.8% -3.3%
2003 31.0% -2.7%
2004 30.2% -2.6%
2005 29.3% -2.7%
2006 28.5% -2.8%
2007 27.7% -2.9%
2008 26.8% -3.0%
2009 26.0% -3.1%
2010 25.2% -3.2%
2011 24.3% -3.4%
2012 23.5% -3.5%
2013 22.6% -3.6%
2014 21.7% -3.8%
2015 20.9% -4.1%
2016 20.0% -4.3%
2017 19.1% -4.5%
2018 18.2% -4.8%
2019 17.2% -5.1%
2020 16.3% -5.4%
2021 15.4% -5.7%
2022 14.4% -6.1%
2023 13.5% -6.3%
2024 12.6% -6.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 29.7% 26.0% 33.1% 10
2010s 21.3% 17.2% 25.2% 10
2020s 14.5% 12.6% 16.3% 5

Countries ranked near Zimbabwe

  1. 25 Sierra Leone 15.3% compare
  2. 26 Lesotho 14.8% compare
  3. 27 Somalia 14.4% compare
  4. 29 Afghanistan 11.2% compare
  5. 30 Congo 8.4% compare
  6. 31 Pakistan 8.2% compare

See the full ranking of 268 places →

More infrastructure data for Zimbabwe

All data for Zimbabwe →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural in Zimbabwe?
Proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural in Zimbabwe was 12.6% 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 Zimbabwe?
The highest recorded value was 33.1% in 2000.
What is the lowest proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural recorded in Zimbabwe?
The lowest recorded value was 12.6% in 2024.
How does Zimbabwe rank for proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural?
Zimbabwe ranks 28th out of 213 countries with data for 2024.
Is proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
Over the last ten years it is down 41.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-population-practicing-open-defecation-by-urban-rural-percent/zimbabwe/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
268 places, 6,379 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed