People practicing open defecation in Gambia

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

Latest (2024)
0.0%
Change on year
down 31.5%
World rank
119th
of 214 countries
All-time high
5.4%
in 2000
All-time low
0.0%
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

People practicing open defecation in Gambia, 2000–2024

02462000201220242000: 5.4 % of population2001: 5.1 % of population2002: 4.7 % of population2003: 4.4 % of population2004: 4.2 % of population2005: 3.9 % of population2006: 3.6 % of population2007: 3.3 % of population2008: 3.1 % of population2009: 2.8 % of population2010: 2.6 % of population2011: 2.3 % of population2012: 2.1 % of population2013: 1.9 % of population2014: 1.6 % of population2015: 1.4 % of population2016: 1.2 % of population2017: 1 % of population2018: 0.798 % of population2019: 0.602 % of population2020: 0.41 % of population2021: 0.224 % of population2022: 0.092 % of population2023: 0.071 % of population2024: 0.048 % 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 Gambia stood at 0.0%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is down 31.5% on the previous year and down 97.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Gambia peaked at 5.4% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2024.

Gambia ranks 119th of 214 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

People practicing open defecation in Gambia, year by year

Annual values for People practicing open defecation (% of population) in Gambia, 2000 to 2024.
Year % of population Change
2000 5.4%
2001 5.1% -5.9%
2002 4.7% -6.2%
2003 4.4% -6.3%
2004 4.2% -6.4%
2005 3.9% -6.7%
2006 3.6% -7.0%
2007 3.3% -7.4%
2008 3.1% -7.8%
2009 2.8% -8.3%
2010 2.6% -8.8%
2011 2.3% -9.4%
2012 2.1% -10.2%
2013 1.9% -11.0%
2014 1.6% -12.1%
2015 1.4% -13.4%
2016 1.2% -15.0%
2017 1.0% -17.2%
2018 0.8% -20.2%
2019 0.6% -24.6%
2020 0.4% -31.8%
2021 0.2% -45.3%
2022 0.1% -58.8%
2023 0.1% -23.6%
2024 0.0% -31.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 4.1% 2.8% 5.4% 10
2010s 1.6% 0.6% 2.6% 10
2020s 0.2% 0.0% 0.4% 5

Countries ranked near Gambia

  1. 116 Morocco 0.1% compare
  2. 117 Jordan 0.1% compare
  3. 118 Uzbekistan 0.0% compare
  4. 120 Montenegro 0.0% compare
  5. 121 Algeria 0.0% compare
  6. 122 Azerbaijan 0.0% compare

See the full ranking of 261 places →

More health data for Gambia

All data for Gambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is people practicing open defecation in Gambia?
People practicing open defecation in Gambia 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 Gambia?
The highest recorded value was 5.4% in 2000.
What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Gambia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2024.
How does Gambia rank for people practicing open defecation?
Gambia ranks 119th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Gambia?
Over the last ten years it is down 97.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Gambia 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 Gambia. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/people-practicing-open-defecation-percent-of-population/gambia-the/

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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.