People practicing open defecation in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: People practicing open defecation was 21.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation in Africa Western and Central, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
In 2024, people practicing open defecation in Africa Western and Central stood at 21.5%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 16.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Africa Western and Central peaked at 32.2% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 21.5%, in 2024.
Africa Western and Central ranks 1st of 47 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People practicing open defecation in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 32.2% | — |
| 2001 | 31.8% | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 31.3% | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 30.8% | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 30.4% | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 29.9% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 29.4% | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 29.0% | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 28.5% | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 28.0% | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 27.6% | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 27.1% | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 26.6% | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 26.2% | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 25.7% | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 25.2% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 24.8% | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 24.3% | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 23.9% | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 23.4% | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 23.0% | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 22.5% | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 22.2% | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 21.8% | -1.9% |
| 2024 | 21.5% | -1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 30.1% | 28.0% | 32.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.5% | 23.4% | 27.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.2% | 21.5% | 23.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
More health data for Africa Western and Central
- Population ages 70-74, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, female, per capita 0.0069 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, annual growth rate 3.54 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per capita 0.0062 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, annual growth rate 3.44 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per capita 0.0046 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, male, annual growth rate 3.74 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per capita 0.0023 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation in Africa Western and Central?
- People practicing open defecation in Africa Western and Central was 21.5% in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest people practicing open defecation recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 32.2% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.5% in 2024.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for people practicing open defecation?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 1st out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa Western and Central data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of People practicing open defecation (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.