People practicing open defecation in Colombia

Colombia: People practicing open defecation was 2.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
2.1%
Change on year
down 8.6%
World rank
65th
of 214 countries
All-time high
8.2%
in 2000
All-time low
2.1%
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

People practicing open defecation in Colombia, 2000–2024

24682000201220242000: 8.2 % of population2001: 7.9 % of population2002: 7.6 % of population2003: 7.3 % of population2004: 7 % of population2005: 6.7 % of population2006: 6.4 % of population2007: 6.1 % of population2008: 5.8 % of population2009: 5.5 % of population2010: 5.3 % of population2011: 5 % of population2012: 4.8 % of population2013: 4.5 % of population2014: 4.3 % of population2015: 4 % of population2016: 3.8 % of population2017: 3.6 % of population2018: 3.3 % of population2019: 3.1 % of population2020: 2.9 % of population2021: 2.7 % of population2022: 2.5 % of population2023: 2.3 % of population2024: 2.1 % of population

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 Colombia stood at 2.1%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is down 8.6% on the previous year and down 51.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Colombia peaked at 8.2% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 2024.

Colombia ranks 65th of 214 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.

People practicing open defecation in Colombia, year by year

Annual values for People practicing open defecation (% of population) in Colombia, 2000 to 2024.
Year % of population Change
2000 8.2%
2001 7.9% -3.9%
2002 7.6% -4.0%
2003 7.3% -4.1%
2004 7.0% -4.2%
2005 6.7% -4.2%
2006 6.4% -4.3%
2007 6.1% -4.4%
2008 5.8% -4.6%
2009 5.5% -4.7%
2010 5.3% -4.8%
2011 5.0% -4.9%
2012 4.8% -5.1%
2013 4.5% -5.2%
2014 4.3% -5.4%
2015 4.0% -5.6%
2016 3.8% -5.8%
2017 3.6% -6.0%
2018 3.3% -6.3%
2019 3.1% -6.6%
2020 2.9% -6.9%
2021 2.7% -7.2%
2022 2.5% -7.6%
2023 2.3% -8.1%
2024 2.1% -8.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 6.8% 5.5% 8.2% 10
2010s 4.2% 3.1% 5.3% 10
2020s 2.5% 2.1% 2.9% 5

Countries ranked near Colombia

  1. 62 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2.5% compare
  2. 63 Indonesia 2.3% compare
  3. 64 Philippines 2.2% compare
  4. 66 Zambia 2.0% compare
  5. 67 Burundi 2.0% compare
  6. 68 Malawi 1.9% compare

See the full ranking of 261 places →

More health data for Colombia

All data for Colombia →

Frequently asked questions

What is people practicing open defecation in Colombia?
People practicing open defecation in Colombia was 2.1% 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 Colombia?
The highest recorded value was 8.2% in 2000.
What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Colombia?
The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 2024.
How does Colombia rank for people practicing open defecation?
Colombia ranks 65th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Colombia?
Over the last ten years it is down 51.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Colombia 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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People practicing open defecation in Colombia. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/people-practicing-open-defecation-percent-of-population/colombia/

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About this data

Indicator
People practicing open defecation (% of population)
Unit
% of population
Source
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
261 places, 6,240 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

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.