People practicing open defecation in Lesotho
Lesotho: People practicing open defecation was 14.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation in Lesotho, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 14.8% for people practicing open defecation in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 7.3% on the previous year and down 44.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Lesotho peaked at 45.8% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 14.8%, in 2024.
Lesotho ranks 27th of 214 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People practicing open defecation in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 45.8% | — |
| 2001 | 44.4% | -3.2% |
| 2002 | 42.9% | -3.3% |
| 2003 | 41.5% | -3.3% |
| 2004 | 40.1% | -3.4% |
| 2005 | 38.6% | -3.5% |
| 2006 | 37.2% | -3.6% |
| 2007 | 35.9% | -3.6% |
| 2008 | 34.5% | -3.8% |
| 2009 | 33.2% | -3.9% |
| 2010 | 31.9% | -4.0% |
| 2011 | 30.5% | -4.1% |
| 2012 | 29.3% | -4.2% |
| 2013 | 28.0% | -4.3% |
| 2014 | 26.8% | -4.5% |
| 2015 | 25.5% | -4.6% |
| 2016 | 24.3% | -4.8% |
| 2017 | 23.1% | -5.0% |
| 2018 | 21.9% | -5.3% |
| 2019 | 20.7% | -5.5% |
| 2020 | 19.5% | -5.8% |
| 2021 | 18.3% | -6.1% |
| 2022 | 17.1% | -6.5% |
| 2023 | 15.9% | -6.8% |
| 2024 | 14.8% | -7.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 39.4% | 33.2% | 45.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.2% | 20.7% | 31.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.1% | 14.8% | 19.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 24 Djibouti 15.9% compare
- 25 Papua New Guinea 15.6% compare
- 26 Sierra Leone 15.3% compare
- 28 Somalia 14.4% compare
- 29 Zimbabwe 12.6% compare
- 30 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 11.7% compare
More health data for Lesotho
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.05 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4669 % change on previous year (2090)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates 1,227 (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 382 (2100)
- Population ages 15-64, male, annual growth rate 1.85 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, per capita 0.3023 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total, annual growth rate 1.75 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total, per unit of GDP 0.0006 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total, per capita 0.6202 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation in Lesotho?
- People practicing open defecation in Lesotho was 14.8% 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 Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 45.8% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.8% in 2024.
- How does Lesotho rank for people practicing open defecation?
- Lesotho ranks 27th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 44.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho 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.