People practicing open defecation (% of population) in Malawi
Malawi: People practicing open defecation (% of population) was 1.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation in Malawi, 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 Malawi is 1.9%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 20.8% on the previous year and down 72.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Malawi peaked at 14.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.9%, in 2024.
Malawi ranks 68th of 214 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People practicing open defecation (% of population) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 14.6% | — |
| 2001 | 14.1% | -3.7% |
| 2002 | 13.5% | -3.8% |
| 2003 | 13.0% | -4.0% |
| 2004 | 12.5% | -4.1% |
| 2005 | 11.9% | -4.3% |
| 2006 | 11.4% | -4.5% |
| 2007 | 10.9% | -4.7% |
| 2008 | 10.3% | -4.9% |
| 2009 | 9.8% | -5.1% |
| 2010 | 9.3% | -5.4% |
| 2011 | 8.7% | -5.7% |
| 2012 | 8.2% | -6.1% |
| 2013 | 7.7% | -6.5% |
| 2014 | 7.1% | -6.9% |
| 2015 | 6.6% | -7.4% |
| 2016 | 6.1% | -8.0% |
| 2017 | 5.6% | -8.6% |
| 2018 | 5.0% | -9.4% |
| 2019 | 4.5% | -10.4% |
| 2020 | 4.0% | -11.5% |
| 2021 | 3.5% | -12.9% |
| 2022 | 3.0% | -14.8% |
| 2023 | 2.5% | -17.3% |
| 2024 | 1.9% | -20.8% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 1.9% is below the median for low income countries, which is 14.4%, 13% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 1.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12.1%, 16% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12.2% | 9.8% | 14.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.9% | 4.5% | 9.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.0% | 1.9% | 4.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More health data for Malawi
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.8368 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.9312 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 6,399 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.61 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0714 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.63 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0718 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation in Malawi?
- People practicing open defecation in Malawi was 1.9% 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 14.6% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.9% in 2024.
- How does Malawi rank for people practicing open defecation?
- Malawi ranks 68th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 72.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi 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.