People practicing open defecation in Eritrea

Eritrea: People practicing open defecation was 67.0% in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
67.0%
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
1st
of 214 countries
All-time high
82.7%
in 2000
All-time low
67.0%
in 2016
Years of data
17
2000–2016

People practicing open defecation in Eritrea, 2000–2016

0204060802000200820162000: 82.7 % of population2001: 81.5 % of population2002: 80.2 % of population2003: 79 % of population2004: 77.7 % of population2005: 76.5 % of population2006: 75.2 % of population2007: 73.9 % of population2008: 72.6 % of population2009: 71.6 % of population2010: 70.5 % of population2011: 69.4 % of population2012: 68.4 % of population2013: 68 % of population2014: 67.7 % of population2015: 67.4 % of population2016: 67 % 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 2016, people practicing open defecation in Eritrea stood at 67.0%. That is the lowest value across all 17 years on record.

The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 10.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Eritrea peaked at 82.7% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 67.0%, in 2016.

That places Eritrea 1st out of 214 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.

People practicing open defecation in Eritrea, year by year

Annual values for People practicing open defecation (% of population) in Eritrea, 2000 to 2016.
Year % of population Change
2000 82.7%
2001 81.5% -1.5%
2002 80.2% -1.5%
2003 79.0% -1.6%
2004 77.7% -1.6%
2005 76.5% -1.6%
2006 75.2% -1.7%
2007 73.9% -1.7%
2008 72.6% -1.7%
2009 71.6% -1.5%
2010 70.5% -1.5%
2011 69.4% -1.5%
2012 68.4% -1.5%
2013 68.0% -0.5%
2014 67.7% -0.5%
2015 67.4% -0.5%
2016 67.0% -0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 77.1% 71.6% 82.7% 10
2010s 68.3% 67.0% 70.5% 7

Countries ranked near Eritrea

  1. 2 Niger 66.0% compare
  2. 3 South Sudan 62.8% compare
  3. 4 Chad 62.2% compare

See the full ranking of 261 places →

More health data for Eritrea

All data for Eritrea →

Frequently asked questions

What is people practicing open defecation in Eritrea?
People practicing open defecation in Eritrea was 67.0% in 2016, 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 Eritrea?
The highest recorded value was 82.7% in 2000.
What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Eritrea?
The lowest recorded value was 67.0% in 2016.
How does Eritrea rank for people practicing open defecation?
Eritrea ranks 1st out of 214 countries with data for 2016.
Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Eritrea?
Over the last ten years it is down 10.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Eritrea 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 Eritrea. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/people-practicing-open-defecation-percent-of-population/eritrea/

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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.