People practicing open defecation in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: People practicing open defecation was 16.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation in Ethiopia, 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 Ethiopia stood at 16.2%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.9% on the previous year and down 58.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Ethiopia peaked at 71.9% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 16.2%, in 2024.
That places Ethiopia 21st out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People practicing open defecation in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 71.9% | — |
| 2001 | 69.5% | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 67.2% | -3.4% |
| 2003 | 64.8% | -3.5% |
| 2004 | 62.5% | -3.6% |
| 2005 | 60.1% | -3.7% |
| 2006 | 57.8% | -3.9% |
| 2007 | 55.4% | -4.0% |
| 2008 | 53.0% | -4.3% |
| 2009 | 50.6% | -4.5% |
| 2010 | 48.3% | -4.7% |
| 2011 | 45.9% | -4.9% |
| 2012 | 43.5% | -5.2% |
| 2013 | 41.2% | -5.4% |
| 2014 | 38.8% | -5.7% |
| 2015 | 36.5% | -6.0% |
| 2016 | 34.2% | -6.3% |
| 2017 | 31.9% | -6.7% |
| 2018 | 29.6% | -7.2% |
| 2019 | 27.4% | -7.7% |
| 2020 | 25.1% | -8.2% |
| 2021 | 22.9% | -8.9% |
| 2022 | 20.6% | -9.7% |
| 2023 | 18.4% | -10.7% |
| 2024 | 16.2% | -11.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 61.3% | 50.6% | 71.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 37.7% | 27.4% | 48.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.7% | 16.2% | 25.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
- 18 Haiti 17.5% compare
- 19 Cote d'Ivoire 16.7% compare
- 20 Sudan 16.4% compare
- 22 Mauritania 16.2% compare
- 23 Mozambique 16.0% compare
- 24 Djibouti 15.9% compare
More health data for Ethiopia
- 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 0.9494 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 744.3 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 19,997 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate 1.84 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.1902 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 1.86 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.1976 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation in Ethiopia?
- People practicing open defecation in Ethiopia was 16.2% 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 Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 71.9% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.2% in 2024.
- How does Ethiopia rank for people practicing open defecation?
- Ethiopia ranks 21st out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 58.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ethiopia 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.