People practicing open defecation (% of population): Q5 in Ghana

Ghana: People practicing open defecation (% of population): Q5 was 1.0% in 2017. ▼ Falling

Latest (2017)
1.0%
Change on year
down 12.6%
World rank
14th
of 97 countries
All-time high
3.4%
in 2000
All-time low
1.0%
in 2017
Years of data
18
2000–2017

People practicing open defecation (% of population): Q5 in Ghana, 2000–2017

11.522.533.52000200820172000: 3.4 highest2001: 3.4 highest2002: 3.2 highest2003: 3.1 highest2004: 2.9 highest2005: 2.8 highest2006: 2.7 highest2007: 2.5 highest2008: 2.4 highest2009: 2.2 highest2010: 2.1 highest2011: 1.9 highest2012: 1.8 highest2013: 1.6 highest2014: 1.5 highest2015: 1.3 highest2016: 1.2 highest2017: 1 highest

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for people practicing open defecation (% of population): q5 in Ghana is 1.0%, measured in 2017. That is the lowest value across all 18 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.6% on the previous year and down 59.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation (% of population): q5 in Ghana peaked at 3.4% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 2017.

That places Ghana 14th out of 97 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the top quarter.

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

People practicing open defecation (% of population): Q5 in Ghana, year by year

Annual values for People practicing open defecation (% of population): Q5 (highest) in Ghana, 2000 to 2017.
Year highest Change
2000 3.4%
2001 3.4% +0.0%
2002 3.2% -4.4%
2003 3.1% -4.6%
2004 2.9% -4.8%
2005 2.8% -5.0%
2006 2.7% -5.3%
2007 2.5% -5.6%
2008 2.4% -5.9%
2009 2.2% -6.3%
2010 2.1% -6.7%
2011 1.9% -7.2%
2012 1.8% -7.7%
2013 1.6% -8.4%
2014 1.5% -9.2%
2015 1.3% -10.1%
2016 1.2% -11.2%
2017 1.0% -12.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2.9% 2.2% 3.4% 10
2010s 1.5% 1.0% 2.1% 8

Countries ranked near Ghana

  1. 11 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1.7% compare
  2. 12 Sierra Leone 1.4% compare
  3. 13 India 1.1% compare
  4. 15 Lesotho 0.9% compare
  5. 16 Afghanistan 0.9% compare
  6. 17 Central African Republic 0.8% compare

See the full ranking of 97 places →

More health data for Ghana

All data for Ghana →

Frequently asked questions

What is people practicing open defecation (% of population): q5 in Ghana?
People practicing open defecation (% of population): q5 in Ghana was 1.0% 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): q5 recorded in Ghana?
The highest recorded value was 3.4% in 2000.
What is the lowest people practicing open defecation (% of population): q5 recorded in Ghana?
The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 2017.
How does Ghana rank for people practicing open defecation (% of population): q5?
Ghana ranks 14th out of 97 countries with data for 2017.
Is people practicing open defecation (% of population): q5 rising or falling in Ghana?
Over the last ten years it is down 59.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Ghana 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): Q5 (highest). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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People practicing open defecation (% of population): Q5 in Ghana. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (washdata.org). Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/people-practicing-open-defecation-percent-of-population-q5-highest/ghana/

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About this data

Indicator
People practicing open defecation (% of population): Q5 (highest)
Unit
highest
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