People practicing open defecation (% of population): Q3 in Malawi

Malawi: People practicing open defecation (% of population): Q3 was 4.6% in 2017. ▼ Falling

Latest (2017)
4.6%
Change on year
down 14.4%
World rank
36th
of 97 countries
All-time high
17.8%
in 2000
All-time low
4.6%
in 2017
Years of data
18
2000–2017

People practicing open defecation (% of population): Q3 in Malawi, 2000–2017

51015202000200820172000: 17.82001: 172002: 16.22003: 15.52004: 14.72005: 13.92006: 13.12007: 12.42008: 11.62009: 10.82010: 102011: 9.32012: 8.52013: 7.72014: 6.92015: 6.22016: 5.42017: 4.6

Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (washdata.org).

Analysis

In 2017, people practicing open defecation (% of population): q3 in Malawi stood at 4.6%. That is the lowest value across all 18 years on record.

The figure is down 14.4% on the previous year and down 62.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation (% of population): q3 in Malawi peaked at 17.8% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 4.6%, in 2017.

That places Malawi 36th out of 97 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 18 years of available data.

People practicing open defecation (% of population): Q3 in Malawi, year by year

Annual values for People practicing open defecation (% of population): Q3 in Malawi, 2000 to 2017.
Year Value Change
2000 17.8%
2001 17.0% -4.4%
2002 16.2% -4.6%
2003 15.5% -4.8%
2004 14.7% -5.0%
2005 13.9% -5.3%
2006 13.1% -5.6%
2007 12.4% -5.9%
2008 11.6% -6.3%
2009 10.8% -6.7%
2010 10.0% -7.2%
2011 9.3% -7.7%
2012 8.5% -8.4%
2013 7.7% -9.1%
2014 6.9% -10.0%
2015 6.2% -11.2%
2016 5.4% -12.6%
2017 4.6% -14.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 14.3% 10.8% 17.8% 10
2010s 7.3% 4.6% 10.0% 8

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 33 Somalia 6.6% compare
  2. 34 Indonesia 5.9% compare
  3. 35 Bolivia 5.8% compare
  4. 37 Nicaragua 3.8% compare
  5. 38 Guatemala 3.7% compare
  6. 39 Kenya 3.7% compare

See the full ranking of 97 places →

More health data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is people practicing open defecation (% of population): q3 in Malawi?
People practicing open defecation (% of population): q3 in Malawi was 4.6% in 2017, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (washdata.org).
What is the highest people practicing open defecation (% of population): q3 recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 17.8% in 2000.
What is the lowest people practicing open defecation (% of population): q3 recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 4.6% in 2017.
How does Malawi rank for people practicing open defecation (% of population): q3?
Malawi ranks 36th out of 97 countries with data for 2017.
Is people practicing open defecation (% of population): q3 rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is down 62.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malawi data come from?
The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (washdata.org), published as part of People practicing open defecation (% of population): Q3. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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People practicing open defecation (% of population): Q3 in Malawi. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (washdata.org). Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/people-practicing-open-defecation-percent-of-population-q3/malawi/

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About this data

Indicator
People practicing open defecation (% of population): Q3
Source
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (washdata.org)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
97 places, 1,672 data points, 2000–2017
Last refreshed