People practicing open defecation (% of population): Q4 in Malawi

Malawi: People practicing open defecation (% of population): Q4 was 1.9% in 2017. ▼ Falling

Latest (2017)
1.9%
Change on year
down 21.7%
World rank
32nd
of 97 countries
All-time high
10.8%
in 2000
All-time low
1.9%
in 2017
Years of data
18
2000–2017

People practicing open defecation (% of population): Q4 in Malawi, 2000–2017

2468102000200820172000: 10.82001: 10.32002: 9.82003: 9.32004: 8.72005: 8.22006: 7.72007: 7.22008: 6.62009: 6.12010: 5.62011: 5.12012: 4.52013: 42014: 3.52015: 32016: 2.42017: 1.9

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

Analysis

Malawi recorded 1.9% for people practicing open defecation (% of population): q4 in 2017. That is the lowest value across all 18 years on record.

The figure is down 21.7% on the previous year and down 73.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation (% of population): q4 in Malawi peaked at 10.8% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.9%, in 2017.

Malawi ranks 32nd of 97 countries on this measure, 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): Q4 in Malawi, year by year

Annual values for People practicing open defecation (% of population): Q4 in Malawi, 2000 to 2017.
Year Value Change
2000 10.8%
2001 10.3% -4.9%
2002 9.8% -5.1%
2003 9.3% -5.4%
2004 8.7% -5.7%
2005 8.2% -6.0%
2006 7.7% -6.4%
2007 7.2% -6.8%
2008 6.6% -7.3%
2009 6.1% -7.9%
2010 5.6% -8.6%
2011 5.1% -9.4%
2012 4.5% -10.4%
2013 4.0% -11.6%
2014 3.5% -13.1%
2015 3.0% -15.1%
2016 2.4% -17.8%
2017 1.9% -21.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 8.5% 6.1% 10.8% 10
2010s 3.7% 1.9% 5.6% 8

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 29 Tanzania 3.0% compare
  2. 30 Indonesia 2.9% compare
  3. 31 Cote d'Ivoire 2.4% compare
  4. 33 Bolivia 1.8% compare
  5. 34 Gabon 1.8% compare
  6. 35 Nicaragua 1.7% 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): q4 in Malawi?
People practicing open defecation (% of population): q4 in Malawi was 1.9% 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): q4 recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 10.8% in 2000.
What is the lowest people practicing open defecation (% of population): q4 recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 1.9% in 2017.
How does Malawi rank for people practicing open defecation (% of population): q4?
Malawi ranks 32nd out of 97 countries with data for 2017.
Is people practicing open defecation (% of population): q4 rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is down 73.5%. 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): Q4. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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People practicing open defecation (% of population): Q4 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-q4/malawi/

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About this data

Indicator
People practicing open defecation (% of population): Q4
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