People practicing open defecation (% of population) in Bolivia
Bolivia: People practicing open defecation (% of population) was 7.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation in Bolivia, 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 Bolivia stood at 7.1%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.2% on the previous year and down 56.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Bolivia peaked at 33.4% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 7.1%, in 2024.
Bolivia ranks 38th of 214 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People practicing open defecation (% of population) in Bolivia, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 33.4% | — |
| 2001 | 32.1% | -3.9% |
| 2002 | 30.8% | -3.9% |
| 2003 | 29.5% | -4.1% |
| 2004 | 28.3% | -4.2% |
| 2005 | 27.1% | -4.3% |
| 2006 | 25.9% | -4.5% |
| 2007 | 24.6% | -4.7% |
| 2008 | 23.4% | -4.9% |
| 2009 | 22.2% | -5.1% |
| 2010 | 21.1% | -5.3% |
| 2011 | 19.9% | -5.6% |
| 2012 | 18.7% | -5.9% |
| 2013 | 17.6% | -6.1% |
| 2014 | 16.5% | -6.4% |
| 2015 | 15.4% | -6.7% |
| 2016 | 14.3% | -7.2% |
| 2017 | 13.2% | -7.7% |
| 2018 | 12.1% | -8.3% |
| 2019 | 11.0% | -9.0% |
| 2020 | 9.9% | -9.8% |
| 2021 | 8.8% | -10.8% |
| 2022 | 8.2% | -7.0% |
| 2023 | 7.6% | -6.9% |
| 2024 | 7.1% | -7.2% |
Bolivia compared with similar countries
- Bolivia's 7.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.7%, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Bolivia's 7.1% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 0.6%, 12.4× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 27.7% | 22.2% | 33.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.0% | 11.0% | 21.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.3% | 7.1% | 9.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bolivia
- 35 Pakistan 8.2% compare
- 36 East Timor 7.9% compare
- 37 Guinea-Bissau 7.7% compare
- 39 Marshall Islands 6.8% compare
- 40 Tanzania 6.8% compare
- 41 Myanmar 6.7% compare
More health data for Bolivia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.04 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.3723 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 1,250 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.2082 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.049 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.2019 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0508 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation in Bolivia?
- People practicing open defecation in Bolivia was 7.1% 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 Bolivia?
- The highest recorded value was 33.4% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Bolivia?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.1% in 2024.
- How does Bolivia rank for people practicing open defecation?
- Bolivia ranks 38th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Bolivia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 56.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bolivia 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.
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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.