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

India: People practicing open defecation (% of population): Q5 was 1.1% in 2017. ▼ Falling

Latest (2017)
1.1%
Change on year
down 29.2%
World rank
13th
of 97 countries
All-time high
6.9%
in 2000
All-time low
1.1%
in 2017
Years of data
18
2000–2017

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

2462000200820172000: 6.9 highest2001: 6.9 highest2002: 6.9 highest2003: 6.9 highest2004: 6.9 highest2005: 6.4 highest2006: 6 highest2007: 5.5 highest2008: 5.1 highest2009: 4.7 highest2010: 4.2 highest2011: 3.8 highest2012: 3.3 highest2013: 2.9 highest2014: 2.4 highest2015: 2 highest2016: 1.5 highest2017: 1.1 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 India is 1.1%, measured in 2017. That is the lowest value across all 18 years on record.

That represents a change of down 29.2% on the previous year and down 80.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation (% of population): q5 in India peaked at 6.9% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 2017.

India ranks 13th of 97 countries on this measure, 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 India, year by year

Annual values for People practicing open defecation (% of population): Q5 (highest) in India, 2000 to 2017.
Year highest Change
2000 6.9%
2001 6.9% +0.0%
2002 6.9% +0.0%
2003 6.9% +0.0%
2004 6.9% +0.0%
2005 6.4% -6.5%
2006 6.0% -6.9%
2007 5.5% -7.4%
2008 5.1% -8.0%
2009 4.7% -8.8%
2010 4.2% -9.6%
2011 3.8% -10.6%
2012 3.3% -11.9%
2013 2.9% -13.5%
2014 2.4% -15.6%
2015 2.0% -18.4%
2016 1.5% -22.6%
2017 1.1% -29.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 6.2% 4.7% 6.9% 10
2010s 2.6% 1.1% 4.2% 8

Countries ranked near India

  1. 10 Liberia 2.4% compare
  2. 11 Democratic Republic of Congo 1.7% compare
  3. 12 Sierra Leone 1.4% compare
  4. 14 Ghana 1.0% compare
  5. 15 Lesotho 0.9% compare
  6. 16 Afghanistan 0.9% compare

See the full ranking of 97 places →

More health data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is people practicing open defecation (% of population): q5 in India?
People practicing open defecation (% of population): q5 in India was 1.1% 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 India?
The highest recorded value was 6.9% in 2000.
What is the lowest people practicing open defecation (% of population): q5 recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 2017.
How does India rank for people practicing open defecation (% of population): q5?
India ranks 13th out of 97 countries with data for 2017.
Is people practicing open defecation (% of population): q5 rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is down 80.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this India 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 India. 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-q5-highest/india/

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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