People practicing open defecation (% of population) in Ecuador
Ecuador: People practicing open defecation (% of population) was 1.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation in Ecuador, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for people practicing open defecation in Ecuador is 1.7%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 14.2% on the previous year and down 68.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Ecuador peaked at 11.2% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 2024.
Ecuador ranks 72nd 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 (% of population) in Ecuador, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 11.2% | — |
| 2001 | 10.7% | -4.3% |
| 2002 | 10.3% | -4.1% |
| 2003 | 9.9% | -4.0% |
| 2004 | 9.4% | -4.2% |
| 2005 | 9.0% | -4.3% |
| 2006 | 8.6% | -4.5% |
| 2007 | 8.2% | -4.7% |
| 2008 | 7.8% | -4.9% |
| 2009 | 7.4% | -5.1% |
| 2010 | 7.0% | -5.4% |
| 2011 | 6.6% | -5.6% |
| 2012 | 6.2% | -5.8% |
| 2013 | 5.9% | -6.1% |
| 2014 | 5.5% | -6.5% |
| 2015 | 5.1% | -6.9% |
| 2016 | 4.7% | -7.4% |
| 2017 | 4.3% | -8.0% |
| 2018 | 4.0% | -8.6% |
| 2019 | 3.6% | -9.4% |
| 2020 | 3.2% | -10.4% |
| 2021 | 2.8% | -11.6% |
| 2022 | 2.5% | -13.0% |
| 2023 | 2.0% | -19.5% |
| 2024 | 1.7% | -14.2% |
Ecuador compared with similar countries
- Ecuador's 1.7% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.3%, 6.5× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Ecuador's 1.7% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 0.6%, 3.0× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9.3% | 7.4% | 11.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.3% | 3.6% | 7.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.4% | 1.7% | 3.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ecuador
More health data for Ecuador
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.67 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.6766 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 354 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -1.67 % 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 0.0362 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -1.67 % 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 0.0378 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation in Ecuador?
- People practicing open defecation in Ecuador was 1.7% 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 Ecuador?
- The highest recorded value was 11.2% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Ecuador?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 2024.
- How does Ecuador rank for people practicing open defecation?
- Ecuador ranks 72nd out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Ecuador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 68.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ecuador 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.