People practicing open defecation in Guatemala

Guatemala: People practicing open defecation was 1.0% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
1.0%
Change on year
down 31.0%
World rank
80th
of 214 countries
All-time high
12.9%
in 2000
All-time low
1.0%
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

People practicing open defecation in Guatemala, 2000–2024

02.557.51012.52000201220242000: 12.9 % of population2001: 12.4 % of population2002: 11.9 % of population2003: 11.3 % of population2004: 10.8 % of population2005: 10.3 % of population2006: 9.7 % of population2007: 9.2 % of population2008: 8.7 % of population2009: 8.2 % of population2010: 7.7 % of population2011: 7.2 % of population2012: 6.7 % of population2013: 6.2 % of population2014: 5.7 % of population2015: 5.2 % of population2016: 4.7 % of population2017: 4.2 % of population2018: 3.7 % of population2019: 3.3 % of population2020: 2.8 % of population2021: 2.3 % of population2022: 1.9 % of population2023: 1.4 % of population2024: 0.991 % 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 Guatemala stood at 1.0%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 31.0% on the previous year and down 82.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Guatemala peaked at 12.9% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 2024.

That places Guatemala 80th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Guatemala, year by year

Annual values for People practicing open defecation (% of population) in Guatemala, 2000 to 2024.
Year % of population Change
2000 12.9%
2001 12.4% -4.3%
2002 11.9% -4.4%
2003 11.3% -4.5%
2004 10.8% -4.7%
2005 10.3% -4.9%
2006 9.7% -5.1%
2007 9.2% -5.3%
2008 8.7% -5.6%
2009 8.2% -5.9%
2010 7.7% -6.2%
2011 7.2% -6.6%
2012 6.7% -7.0%
2013 6.2% -7.4%
2014 5.7% -8.0%
2015 5.2% -8.6%
2016 4.7% -9.4%
2017 4.2% -10.2%
2018 3.7% -11.3%
2019 3.3% -12.6%
2020 2.8% -14.3%
2021 2.3% -16.5%
2022 1.9% -19.5%
2023 1.4% -23.9%
2024 1.0% -31.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 10.5% 8.2% 12.9% 10
2010s 5.5% 3.3% 7.7% 10
2020s 1.9% 1.0% 2.8% 5

Countries ranked near Guatemala

  1. 77 Suriname 1.2% compare
  2. 78 El Salvador 1.2% compare
  3. 79 Rwanda 1.1% compare
  4. 81 Aruba 0.9% compare
  5. 82 Nauru 0.8% compare
  6. 83 Guam 0.7% compare

See the full ranking of 261 places →

More health data for Guatemala

All data for Guatemala →

Frequently asked questions

What is people practicing open defecation in Guatemala?
People practicing open defecation in Guatemala was 1.0% 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 Guatemala?
The highest recorded value was 12.9% in 2000.
What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Guatemala?
The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 2024.
How does Guatemala rank for people practicing open defecation?
Guatemala ranks 80th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Guatemala?
Over the last ten years it is down 82.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Guatemala 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 Guatemala. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/people-practicing-open-defecation-percent-of-population/guatemala/

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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.