People practicing open defecation in European Union

European Union: People practicing open defecation was 0.0% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
0.0%
Rank
1st
of 2 groups
All-time high
0.0%
in 2000
All-time low
0.0%
in 2022
Years of data
25
2000–2024

People practicing open defecation in European Union, 2000–2024

00.0050.010.0152000201220242000: 0.016 % of population2001: 0.015 % of population2002: 0.014 % of population2003: 0.013 % of population2004: 0.012 % of population2005: 0.011 % of population2006: 0.01 % of population2007: 0.009 % of population2008: 0.009 % of population2009: 0.008 % of population2010: 0.007 % of population2011: 0.006 % of population2012: 0.005 % of population2013: 0.005 % of population2014: 0.004 % of population2015: 0.003 % of population2016: 0.002 % of population2017: 0.002 % of population2018: 0.002 % of population2019: 0.002 % of population2020: 0.002 % of population2021: 0.002 % of population2022: 0 % of population2023: 0 % of population2024: 0 % 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 European Union stood at 0.0%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

That represents a change of down 100.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in European Union peaked at 0.0% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2022.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

People practicing open defecation in European Union, year by year

Annual values for People practicing open defecation (% of population) in European Union, 2000 to 2024.
Year % of population Change
2000 0.0%
2001 0.0% -10.8%
2002 0.0% -6.2%
2003 0.0% -6.7%
2004 0.0% -7.0%
2005 0.0% -7.3%
2006 0.0% -7.8%
2007 0.0% -8.3%
2008 0.0% -8.9%
2009 0.0% -9.5%
2010 0.0% -10.3%
2011 0.0% -11.2%
2012 0.0% -12.9%
2013 0.0% -14.4%
2014 0.0% -16.4%
2015 0.0% -19.3%
2016 0.0% -23.0%
2017 0.0% -11.1%
2018 0.0% -1.7%
2019 0.0% -1.5%
2020 0.0% -1.2%
2021 0.0% -1.1%
2022 0.0% -100.0%
2023 0.0%
2024 0.0%

Averages by decade

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

Countries ranked near European Union

  1. 1 Eritrea 67.0% compare
  2. 2 Niger 66.0% compare
  3. 3 South Sudan 62.8% compare
  4. 4 Chad 62.2% compare

See the full ranking of 261 places →

More health data for European Union

All data for European Union →

Frequently asked questions

What is people practicing open defecation in European Union?
People practicing open defecation in European Union 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 European Union?
The highest recorded value was 0.0% in 2000.
What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in European Union?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2022.
How does European Union rank for people practicing open defecation?
European Union ranks 1st out of 2 groups with data for 2024.
Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in European Union?
Over the last ten years it is down 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this European Union 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 European Union. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/people-practicing-open-defecation-percent-of-population/european-union/

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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.