People practicing open defecation (% of population) by country
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.
Countries reporting
154
Highest
67.0%
Eritrea
Lowest
0.0%
Viet Nam
Median
1.2%
Years covered
25
2000–2024
Data points
6,240
What the numbers show
People practicing open defecation (% of population) is currently reported for 154 countries. The highest value is 67.0% in Eritrea; the lowest is 0.0% in Viet Nam.
The median across all reporting countries is 1.2%, and the mean is 7.0%.
Over the past decade 13 countries rose and 138 fell. The largest increase was in Trinidad and Tobago (up 234.6%), and the largest decrease in Albania (down 100.0%).
People practicing open defecation: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eritrea | 67.0% | 2016 | down 10.9% | falling |
| 2 | Niger | 66.0% | 2024 | down 9.2% | falling |
| 3 | South Sudan | 62.8% | 2024 | down 8.9% | falling |
| 4 | Chad | 62.2% | 2024 | down 5.8% | falling |
| 5 | Benin | 47.0% | 2024 | down 15.3% | falling |
| 6 | Solomon Islands | 45.3% | 2024 | down 11.0% | falling |
| 7 | Namibia | 34.7% | 2024 | down 19.9% | falling |
| 8 | Liberia | 33.9% | 2024 | down 20.5% | falling |
| 9 | Sao Tome and Principe | 33.3% | 2024 | down 32.2% | falling |
| 10 | Kiribati | 32.4% | 2024 | down 16.6% | falling |
| 11 | Togo | 32.2% | 2024 | down 29.3% | falling |
| 12 | Burkina Faso | 29.9% | 2024 | down 36.9% | falling |
| 13 | Madagascar | 27.0% | 2024 | down 21.0% | falling |
| 14 | Angola | 25.7% | 2022 | down 11.1% | falling |
| 15 | Central African Republic | 24.7% | 2024 | up 0.1% | rising |
| 16 | Nigeria | 18.0% | 2024 | down 13.7% | falling |
| 17 | Ghana | 17.8% | 2024 | down 5.1% | falling |
| 18 | Haiti | 17.5% | 2023 | down 24.5% | falling |
| 19 | Côte d'Ivoire | 16.7% | 2024 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 20 | Sudan | 16.4% | 2024 | down 49.2% | falling |
| 21 | Ethiopia | 16.2% | 2024 | down 58.2% | falling |
| 22 | Mauritania | 16.2% | 2024 | down 50.4% | falling |
| 23 | Mozambique | 16.0% | 2024 | down 52.0% | falling |
| 24 | Djibouti | 15.9% | 2023 | down 9.6% | falling |
| 25 | Papua New Guinea | 15.6% | 2024 | up 7.5% | rising |
| 26 | Sierra Leone | 15.3% | 2024 | down 21.5% | falling |
| 27 | Lesotho | 14.8% | 2024 | down 44.9% | falling |
| 28 | Somalia | 14.4% | 2024 | down 53.6% | falling |
| 29 | Zimbabwe | 12.6% | 2024 | down 41.9% | falling |
| 30 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 11.7% | 2024 | up 0.0% | rising |
| 31 | Afghanistan | 11.2% | 2024 | down 32.3% | falling |
| 32 | Micronesia, Federated States of | 9.5% | 2014 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 8.7% | 2024 | down 69.2% | falling |
| 34 | Congo | 8.4% | 2021 | down 3.7% | flat |
| 35 | Pakistan | 8.2% | 2024 | down 54.4% | falling |
| 36 | Timor-Leste | 7.9% | 2024 | down 65.7% | falling |
| 37 | Guinea-Bissau | 7.7% | 2024 | down 53.4% | falling |
| 38 | Bolivia, Plurinational State of | 7.1% | 2024 | down 56.9% | falling |
| 39 | Marshall Islands | 6.8% | 2024 | down 27.4% | falling |
| 40 | Tanzania, United Republic of | 6.8% | 2024 | down 23.0% | falling |
| 41 | Myanmar | 6.7% | 2024 | down 14.9% | falling |
| 42 | India | 6.7% | 2024 | down 79.8% | volatile |
| 43 | Saint Lucia | 6.2% | 2022 | down 6.9% | falling |
| 44 | Senegal | 6.1% | 2024 | down 54.3% | falling |
| 45 | Kenya | 5.9% | 2024 | down 42.7% | falling |
| 46 | Dominica | 5.6% | 2017 | down 47.0% | falling |
| 47 | Botswana | 5.4% | 2024 | down 49.6% | falling |
| 48 | Cambodia | 5.2% | 2024 | down 86.4% | volatile |
| 49 | Vanuatu | 5.0% | 2024 | up 81.0% | volatile |
| 50 | Yemen | 4.9% | 2024 | down 70.2% | falling |
| 51 | Guinea | 4.7% | 2024 | down 67.5% | falling |
| 52 | Cameroon | 4.4% | 2024 | down 24.7% | falling |
| 53 | Mongolia | 4.3% | 2024 | down 51.7% | falling |
| 54 | Mali | 3.9% | 2024 | down 59.3% | falling |
| 55 | Grenada | 3.5% | 2017 | up 27.8% | rising |
| 56 | Uganda | 3.5% | 2024 | down 53.5% | falling |
| 57 | Cape Verde | 3.4% | 2024 | down 84.4% | volatile |
| 58 | Honduras | 3.4% | 2024 | down 61.3% | falling |
| 59 | Panama | 3.1% | 2024 | down 38.8% | falling |
| 60 | Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of | 3.0% | 2021 | down 43.4% | falling |
| 61 | Equatorial Guinea | 2.9% | 2017 | down 54.3% | falling |
| 62 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 2.5% | 2018 | up 18.0% | rising |
| 63 | Indonesia | 2.3% | 2024 | down 83.1% | volatile |
| 64 | Philippines | 2.2% | 2024 | down 62.9% | falling |
| 65 | Colombia | 2.1% | 2024 | down 51.0% | falling |
| 66 | Zambia | 2.0% | 2024 | down 83.6% | volatile |
| 67 | Burundi | 2.0% | 2024 | down 11.1% | falling |
| 68 | Malawi | 1.9% | 2024 | down 72.8% | falling |
| 69 | Peru | 1.9% | 2024 | down 76.5% | volatile |
| 70 | Tuvalu | 1.8% | 2024 | down 61.5% | falling |
| 71 | Comoros | 1.8% | 2024 | up 36.9% | rising |
| 72 | Ecuador | 1.7% | 2024 | down 68.8% | falling |
| 73 | Dominican Republic | 1.7% | 2024 | down 41.1% | falling |
| 74 | Argentina | 1.5% | 2014 | down 25.5% | falling |
| 75 | Gabon | 1.3% | 2024 | down 22.5% | falling |
| 76 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1.3% | 2017 | down 34.4% | falling |
| 77 | Suriname | 1.2% | 2024 | down 65.1% | volatile |
| 78 | El Salvador | 1.2% | 2024 | down 67.7% | falling |
| 79 | Rwanda | 1.1% | 2024 | down 46.2% | falling |
| 80 | Guatemala | 1.0% | 2024 | down 82.5% | volatile |
| 81 | Aruba | 0.9% | 2024 | down 13.4% | falling |
| 82 | Naoero | 0.8% | 2024 | down 39.2% | falling |
| 83 | Guam | 0.7% | 2016 | up 100.0% | volatile |
| 84 | American Samoa | 0.7% | 2014 | unchanged | flat |
| 85 | Syrian Arab Republic | 0.7% | 2016 | down 42.4% | falling |
| 86 | Jamaica | 0.6% | 2024 | down 20.3% | falling |
| 87 | Belize | 0.6% | 2022 | down 69.5% | volatile |
| 88 | Libya | 0.6% | 2024 | down 0.7% | flat |
| 89 | Nepal | 0.5% | 2024 | down 98.1% | volatile |
| 90 | Tajikistan | 0.5% | 2023 | down 31.7% | falling |
| 91 | Iran, Islamic Republic of | 0.4% | 2016 | down 16.4% | falling |
| 92 | Eswatini | 0.4% | 2024 | down 95.6% | volatile |
| 93 | Malaysia | 0.3% | 2016 | down 62.7% | volatile |
| 94 | Paraguay | 0.3% | 2024 | down 54.3% | falling |
| 95 | South Africa | 0.3% | 2024 | down 92.7% | volatile |
| 96 | Curaçao | 0.3% | 2017 | down 53.8% | falling |
| 97 | Mauritius | 0.3% | 2024 | up 43.9% | rising |
| 98 | Tunisia | 0.2% | 2024 | down 90.1% | volatile |
| 99 | Croatia | 0.2% | 2021 | down 2.5% | flat |
| 100 | Trinidad and Tobago | 0.2% | 2024 | up 234.6% | volatile |
| 101 | Cuba | 0.2% | 2024 | down 74.6% | volatile |
| 102 | Northern Mariana Islands | 0.2% | 2024 | down 12.7% | falling |
| 103 | Samoa | 0.2% | 2024 | up 37.4% | rising |
| 104 | Antigua and Barbuda | 0.1% | 2024 | down 78.6% | falling |
| 105 | Türkiye | 0.1% | 2024 | down 48.6% | falling |
| 106 | Republic of Moldova | 0.1% | 2024 | down 1.9% | rising |
| 107 | Sint Maarten | 0.1% | 2017 | down 56.2% | falling |
| 108 | Palestine, State of | 0.1% | 2024 | down 60.4% | volatile |
| 109 | Bahamas | 0.1% | 2019 | down 80.5% | volatile |
| 110 | Saudi Arabia | 0.1% | 2024 | down 7.1% | falling |
| 111 | North Macedonia | 0.1% | 2024 | down 54.7% | falling |
| 112 | Tonga | 0.1% | 2024 | down 35.8% | falling |
| 113 | Qatar | 0.1% | 2024 | up 0.0% | flat |
| 114 | Costa Rica | 0.1% | 2024 | down 80.2% | volatile |
| 115 | Serbia | 0.1% | 2024 | down 6.4% | falling |
| 116 | Morocco | 0.1% | 2024 | down 99.2% | volatile |
| 117 | Jordan | 0.1% | 2024 | down 43.4% | volatile |
| 118 | Uzbekistan | 0.0% | 2024 | up 0.5% | falling |
| 119 | Gambia | 0.0% | 2024 | down 97.1% | volatile |
| 120 | Montenegro | 0.0% | 2024 | down 64.3% | falling |
| 121 | Algeria | 0.0% | 2024 | down 97.1% | volatile |
| 122 | Azerbaijan | 0.0% | 2024 | down 77.9% | falling |
| 123 | Guyana | 0.0% | 2024 | down 98.0% | volatile |
| 124 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 0.0% | 2024 | down 25.6% | falling |
| 125 | Armenia | 0.0% | 2024 | down 22.9% | volatile |
| 126 | Iraq | 0.0% | 2024 | down 99.3% | volatile |
| 127 | Georgia | 0.0% | 2024 | down 98.3% | volatile |
| 128 | Ukraine | 0.0% | 2024 | down 4.2% | volatile |
| 129 | Albania | 0.0% | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 129 | Bangladesh | 0.0% | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 129 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.0% | 2018 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 129 | Brazil | 0.0% | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 129 | Barbados | 0.0% | 2024 | down 100.0% | falling |
| 129 | Brunei Darussalam | 0.0% | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 129 | Bhutan | 0.0% | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 129 | Chile | 0.0% | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 129 | China | 0.0% | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 129 | Egypt | 0.0% | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 129 | Fiji | 0.0% | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 129 | Greece | 0.0% | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 129 | Kazakhstan | 0.0% | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 129 | Kyrgyzstan | 0.0% | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 129 | Lebanon | 0.0% | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 129 | Sri Lanka | 0.0% | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 129 | Maldives | 0.0% | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 129 | Mexico | 0.0% | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 129 | Oman | 0.0% | 2024 | — | volatile |
| 129 | French Polynesia | 0.0% | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 129 | Seychelles | 0.0% | 2024 | down 100.0% | falling |
| 129 | Thailand | 0.0% | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 129 | Turkmenistan | 0.0% | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 129 | Uruguay | 0.0% | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 129 | British Virgin Islands | 0.0% | 2016 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 129 | Viet Nam | 0.0% | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- Africa Western and Central 21.5%
- Euro area 0.0%
- European Union 0.0%
- Low income 17.2%
- Pacific island small states 16.7%
- Pre-demographic dividend 15.6%
- Heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) 15.5%
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 15.5%
- Sub-Saharan Africa 15.5%
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 15.5%
- Least developed countries 12.6%
- IDA only 12.4%
- IDA total 12.0%
- IDA blend 11.4%
- Africa Eastern and Southern 11.2%
- Lower middle income 7.3%
- South Asia 5.8%
- South Asia (IDA & IBRD) 5.8%
- Low & middle income 5.3%
- Early-demographic dividend 5.1%
- IDA & IBRD total 5.1%
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 4.4%
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 4.4%
- World 4.3%
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 3.9%
- Small states 3.8%
- Middle income 3.8%
- Arab World 3.0%
- IBRD only 2.4%
- Other small states 2.0%
- East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) 0.8%
- East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) 0.8%
- Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 0.7%
- East Asia & Pacific 0.7%
- Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 0.7%
- Latin America & Caribbean 0.7%
- Upper middle income 0.4%
- Caribbean Small States 0.3%
- OECD members 0.1%
- Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) 0.1%
About this data
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.