Namibia vs Sub-Saharan Africa: People practicing open defecation

Namibia
34.7%
in 2024
Sub-Saharan Africa
15.5%
in 2024
Namibia rank
7th
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
7th

People practicing open defecation over time

  • Namibia
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
2030405060200020122024

How they compare

Namibia currently reports 34.7% against 15.5% in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 19.2%.

That makes Namibia's figure about 2.2 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.

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

Namibia ranks 7th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 7th of 214 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade Namibia Sub-Saharan Africa Difference Ahead
2000s 53.9% 29.0% 25.0% Namibia
2010s 42.9% 22.3% 20.6% Namibia
2020s 36.2% 16.9% 19.3% Namibia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher people practicing open defecation, Namibia or Sub-Saharan Africa?
Namibia, at 34.7% against 15.5% in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2024.
What is the difference in people practicing open defecation between Namibia and Sub-Saharan Africa?
19.2%, with Namibia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Namibia and Sub-Saharan Africa?
25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
How do Namibia and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for people practicing open defecation?
Namibia ranks 7th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 7th 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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Namibia vs Sub-Saharan Africa: People practicing open defecation. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/compare/people-practicing-open-defecation-percent-of-population/namibia/sub-saharan-africa/

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<a href="https://health.statizoid.com/compare/people-practicing-open-defecation-percent-of-population/namibia/sub-saharan-africa/">Namibia vs Sub-Saharan Africa: People practicing open defecation</a> — Statizoid

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.