People practicing open defecation in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income): People practicing open defecation was 0.7% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
People practicing open defecation in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), 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 Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) stood at 0.7%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 39.3% on the previous year and down 81.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) peaked at 10.3% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 2024.
That places Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 31st out of 47 groups 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 Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 10.3% | — |
| 2001 | 9.8% | -4.8% |
| 2002 | 9.3% | -5.0% |
| 2003 | 8.8% | -5.2% |
| 2004 | 8.3% | -5.3% |
| 2005 | 7.9% | -5.5% |
| 2006 | 7.0% | -10.9% |
| 2007 | 6.6% | -5.9% |
| 2008 | 6.2% | -6.2% |
| 2009 | 5.8% | -6.5% |
| 2010 | 5.4% | -6.8% |
| 2011 | 5.0% | -7.2% |
| 2012 | 4.6% | -7.6% |
| 2013 | 4.2% | -8.1% |
| 2014 | 3.9% | -8.7% |
| 2015 | 3.7% | -5.1% |
| 2016 | 3.3% | -10.4% |
| 2017 | 2.9% | -11.4% |
| 2018 | 2.6% | -12.0% |
| 2019 | 2.2% | -13.5% |
| 2020 | 1.9% | -12.7% |
| 2021 | 1.7% | -14.2% |
| 2022 | 1.3% | -20.2% |
| 2023 | 1.2% | -10.0% |
| 2024 | 0.7% | -39.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.0% | 5.8% | 10.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.8% | 2.2% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.4% | 0.7% | 1.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
- 28 Somalia 14.4% compare
- 29 Zimbabwe 12.6% compare
- 30 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 11.7% compare
- 31 Afghanistan 11.2% compare
- 32 Micronesia, Federated States of 9.5% compare
- 33 Lao People's Democratic Republic 8.7% compare
- 34 Congo 8.4% compare
More health data for Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
- Population ages 35-39, female, annual growth rate 0.6262 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.0359 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate 1.15 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0369 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, annual growth rate 0.8651 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per capita 0.0376 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 25-29, male, per capita 0.04 units per person (2025)
All data for Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- People practicing open defecation in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) was 0.7% 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 Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 10.3% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 2024.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) rank for people practicing open defecation?
- Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) ranks 31st out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 81.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 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.