Ethiopia vs World: People practicing open defecation

Ethiopia
16.2%
in 2024
World
4.3%
in 2024
Ethiopia rank
21st
World rank
22nd

People practicing open defecation over time

  • Ethiopia
  • World
020406080200020122024

How they compare

Ethiopia currently reports 16.2% against 4.3% in World, a difference of 11.9%.

That makes Ethiopia's figure about 3.7 times World's.

Across all 25 years both countries report, Ethiopia has been ahead every year.

Ethiopia ranks 21st and World ranks 22nd of 214 countries.

Ethiopia has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Ethiopia World Difference Ahead
2000s 61.3% 18.3% 43.0% Ethiopia
2010s 37.7% 11.0% 26.7% Ethiopia
2020s 20.7% 5.7% 15.0% Ethiopia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher people practicing open defecation, Ethiopia or World?
Ethiopia, at 16.2% against 4.3% in World as of 2024.
What is the difference in people practicing open defecation between Ethiopia and World?
11.9%, with Ethiopia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and World?
25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
How do Ethiopia and World rank globally for people practicing open defecation?
Ethiopia ranks 21st and World ranks 22nd of 214 countries.
Where does this data come from?
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO), published as People practicing open defecation (% of population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Ethiopia vs World: People practicing open defecation. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/compare/people-practicing-open-defecation-percent-of-population/ethiopia/world/

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About this data

Indicator
People practicing open defecation (% of population)
Unit
% of population
Source
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
261 places, 6,240 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

People practicing open defecation refers to the percentage of the population defecating in the open, such as in fields, forest, bushes, open bodies of water, on beaches, in other open spaces or disposed of with solid waste.