People practicing open defecation in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries): People practicing open defecation was 0.7% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
People practicing open defecation in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for people practicing open defecation in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) is 0.7%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 38.7% on the previous year and down 81.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 10.0% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 2024.
That places Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 33rd 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 & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 10.0% | — |
| 2001 | 9.5% | -4.8% |
| 2002 | 9.1% | -4.9% |
| 2003 | 8.6% | -5.1% |
| 2004 | 8.1% | -5.3% |
| 2005 | 7.7% | -5.7% |
| 2006 | 6.9% | -10.7% |
| 2007 | 6.4% | -5.9% |
| 2008 | 6.1% | -6.1% |
| 2009 | 5.7% | -6.4% |
| 2010 | 5.3% | -6.8% |
| 2011 | 4.9% | -7.2% |
| 2012 | 4.5% | -7.6% |
| 2013 | 4.2% | -8.1% |
| 2014 | 3.8% | -8.7% |
| 2015 | 3.6% | -5.2% |
| 2016 | 3.2% | -10.3% |
| 2017 | 2.9% | -11.3% |
| 2018 | 2.5% | -11.9% |
| 2019 | 2.2% | -13.3% |
| 2020 | 1.9% | -12.6% |
| 2021 | 1.6% | -15.1% |
| 2022 | 1.3% | -20.1% |
| 2023 | 1.2% | -9.9% |
| 2024 | 0.7% | -38.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 7.8% | 5.7% | 10.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.7% | 2.2% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.3% | 0.7% | 1.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
- 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
- 35 Pakistan 8.2% compare
- 36 Timor-Leste 7.9% compare
More health data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Population ages 35-39, female, annual growth rate 0.651 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.036 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 1.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.037 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 0.8899 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per capita 0.0377 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 0.0401 units per person (2025)
All data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- People practicing open defecation in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 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 & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 10.0% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 2024.
- How does Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for people practicing open defecation?
- Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 33rd out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 81.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Latin America & the Caribbean (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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.