People practicing open defecation in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)

Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries): People practicing open defecation was 0.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
0.0%
Change on year
down 23.2%
Rank
40th
of 47 groups
All-time high
0.1%
in 2002
All-time low
0.0%
in 2024
Years of data
23
2002–2024

People practicing open defecation in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries), 2002–2024

0.0250.050.0750.10.1250.152002201320242002: 0.146 % of population2003: 0.14 % of population2004: 0.133 % of population2005: 0.127 % of population2006: 0.121 % of population2007: 0.114 % of population2008: 0.108 % of population2009: 0.102 % of population2010: 0.096 % of population2011: 0.091 % of population2012: 0.086 % of population2013: 0.081 % of population2014: 0.076 % of population2015: 0.071 % of population2016: 0.067 % of population2017: 0.062 % of population2018: 0.057 % of population2019: 0.053 % of population2020: 0.048 % of population2021: 0.047 % of population2022: 0.045 % of population2023: 0.045 % of population2024: 0.034 % 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 Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) stood at 0.0%. That is the lowest value across all 23 years on record.

The figure is down 23.2% on the previous year and down 55.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 0.1% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2024.

Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 40th of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.

People practicing open defecation in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year

Annual values for People practicing open defecation (% of population) in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries), 2002 to 2024.
Year % of population Change
2002 0.1%
2003 0.1% -4.2%
2004 0.1% -4.4%
2005 0.1% -4.7%
2006 0.1% -4.9%
2007 0.1% -5.6%
2008 0.1% -5.4%
2009 0.1% -5.7%
2010 0.1% -5.3%
2011 0.1% -5.3%
2012 0.1% -5.5%
2013 0.1% -5.8%
2014 0.1% -6.1%
2015 0.1% -6.4%
2016 0.1% -6.8%
2017 0.1% -7.3%
2018 0.1% -7.8%
2019 0.1% -6.5%
2020 0.0% -9.5%
2021 0.0% -3.3%
2022 0.0% -4.3%
2023 0.0% -0.1%
2024 0.0% -23.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 8
2010s 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 10
2020s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 5

Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)

  1. 37 Guinea-Bissau 7.7% compare
  2. 38 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 7.1% compare
  3. 39 Marshall Islands 6.8% compare
  4. 40 Tanzania, United Republic of 6.8% compare
  5. 41 Myanmar 6.7% compare
  6. 42 India 6.7% compare
  7. 43 Saint Lucia 6.2% compare

See the full ranking of 261 places →

More health data for Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)

All data for Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) →

Frequently asked questions

What is people practicing open defecation in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
People practicing open defecation in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) was 0.0% 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 Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
The highest recorded value was 0.1% in 2002.
What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2024.
How does Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for people practicing open defecation?
Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 40th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
Over the last ten years it is down 55.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) 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 Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries). Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/people-practicing-open-defecation-percent-of-population/europe-and-central-asia-ida-and-ibrd-countries/

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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.