People practicing open defecation in Least developed countries
Least developed countries: People practicing open defecation was 12.6% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation in Least developed 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 Least developed countries is 12.6%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 5.8% on the previous year and down 41.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Least developed countries peaked at 34.1% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 12.6%, in 2024.
That places Least developed countries 9th out of 45 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People practicing open defecation in Least developed countries, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 34.1% | — |
| 2001 | 33.2% | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 32.4% | -2.7% |
| 2003 | 31.4% | -2.9% |
| 2004 | 30.5% | -2.9% |
| 2005 | 29.5% | -3.2% |
| 2006 | 28.6% | -3.3% |
| 2007 | 27.7% | -3.2% |
| 2008 | 26.7% | -3.5% |
| 2009 | 25.7% | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 24.8% | -3.7% |
| 2011 | 24.4% | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 23.5% | -3.8% |
| 2013 | 22.5% | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 21.6% | -4.1% |
| 2015 | 20.7% | -4.3% |
| 2016 | 19.8% | -4.5% |
| 2017 | 18.7% | -5.5% |
| 2018 | 17.8% | -4.8% |
| 2019 | 16.9% | -5.0% |
| 2020 | 16.1% | -5.0% |
| 2021 | 15.3% | -4.8% |
| 2022 | 14.5% | -5.0% |
| 2023 | 13.4% | -7.6% |
| 2024 | 12.6% | -5.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 30.0% | 25.7% | 34.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.1% | 16.9% | 24.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.4% | 12.6% | 16.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Least developed countries
- 6 Solomon Islands 45.3% compare
- 7 Namibia 34.7% compare
- 8 Liberia 33.9% compare
- 9 Sao Tome and Principe 33.3% compare
- 10 Kiribati 32.4% compare
- 11 Togo 32.2% compare
- 12 Burkina Faso 29.9% compare
More health data for Least developed countries
- Population ages 0-14, total, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate 1.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.1892 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 1.63 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.1949 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, annual growth rate 1.66 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per capita 0.3842 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, per capita 0.2842 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation in Least developed countries?
- People practicing open defecation in Least developed countries was 12.6% 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 Least developed countries?
- The highest recorded value was 34.1% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Least developed countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.6% in 2024.
- How does Least developed countries rank for people practicing open defecation?
- Least developed countries ranks 9th out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Least developed countries?
- Over the last ten years it is down 41.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Least developed 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.
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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.