People practicing open defecation in Malaysia

Malaysia: People practicing open defecation was 0.3% in 2016. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2016)
0.3%
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
93rd
of 214 countries
All-time high
1.6%
in 2000
All-time low
0.3%
in 2016
Years of data
17
2000–2016

People practicing open defecation in Malaysia, 2000–2016

0.511.52000200820162000: 1.6 % of population2001: 1.5 % of population2002: 1.4 % of population2003: 1.3 % of population2004: 1.1 % of population2005: 1 % of population2006: 0.932 % of population2007: 0.831 % of population2008: 0.733 % of population2009: 0.639 % of population2010: 0.547 % of population2011: 0.459 % of population2012: 0.374 % of population2013: 0.367 % of population2014: 0.361 % of population2015: 0.354 % of population2016: 0.348 % of population

Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of population.

Analysis

In 2016, people practicing open defecation in Malaysia stood at 0.3%. That is the lowest value across all 17 years on record.

That represents a change of down 1.8% on the previous year and down 62.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Malaysia peaked at 1.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2016.

That places Malaysia 93rd out of 214 countries with data for 2016, 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 Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for People practicing open defecation (% of population) in Malaysia, 2000 to 2016.
Year % of population Change
2000 1.6%
2001 1.5% -7.5%
2002 1.4% -7.9%
2003 1.3% -8.3%
2004 1.1% -8.8%
2005 1.0% -9.4%
2006 0.9% -10.0%
2007 0.8% -10.8%
2008 0.7% -11.8%
2009 0.6% -12.9%
2010 0.5% -14.4%
2011 0.5% -16.0%
2012 0.4% -18.5%
2013 0.4% -1.8%
2014 0.4% -1.8%
2015 0.4% -1.8%
2016 0.3% -1.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1.1% 0.6% 1.6% 10
2010s 0.4% 0.3% 0.5% 7

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 90 Tajikistan 0.5% compare
  2. 91 Iran 0.4% compare
  3. 92 Eswatini 0.4% compare
  4. 94 Paraguay 0.3% compare
  5. 95 South Africa 0.3% compare
  6. 96 Curacao 0.3% compare

See the full ranking of 261 places →

More health data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is people practicing open defecation in Malaysia?
People practicing open defecation in Malaysia was 0.3% in 2016, 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 Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 1.6% in 2000.
What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2016.
How does Malaysia rank for people practicing open defecation?
Malaysia ranks 93rd out of 214 countries with data for 2016.
Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is down 62.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Malaysia 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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People practicing open defecation in Malaysia. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/people-practicing-open-defecation-percent-of-population/malaysia/

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About this data

Indicator
People practicing open defecation (% of population)
Unit
% of population
Source
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
261 places, 6,240 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

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.