People practicing open defecation in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income): People practicing open defecation was 4.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) is 4.4%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 10.3% on the previous year and down 48.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) peaked at 15.1% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 4.4%, in 2024.
That places Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 21st out of 47 groups with data for 2024, putting it 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 in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 15.1% | — |
| 2001 | 15.0% | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 14.9% | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 14.7% | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 14.1% | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 13.5% | -4.0% |
| 2006 | 13.0% | -4.1% |
| 2007 | 12.4% | -4.2% |
| 2008 | 11.8% | -5.3% |
| 2009 | 11.2% | -4.5% |
| 2010 | 10.7% | -4.7% |
| 2011 | 10.2% | -5.0% |
| 2012 | 9.6% | -5.3% |
| 2013 | 9.1% | -5.7% |
| 2014 | 8.6% | -6.0% |
| 2015 | 8.0% | -6.3% |
| 2016 | 7.5% | -6.7% |
| 2017 | 8.2% | +9.6% |
| 2018 | 7.6% | -7.4% |
| 2019 | 7.0% | -7.7% |
| 2020 | 6.5% | -7.9% |
| 2021 | 5.9% | -8.4% |
| 2022 | 5.4% | -8.9% |
| 2023 | 4.9% | -9.1% |
| 2024 | 4.4% | -10.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 13.6% | 11.2% | 15.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.6% | 7.0% | 10.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.4% | 4.4% | 6.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
- 18 Haiti 17.5% compare
- 19 Cote d'Ivoire 16.7% compare
- 20 Sudan 16.4% compare
- 21 Ethiopia 16.2% compare
- 22 Mauritania 16.2% compare
- 23 Mozambique 16.0% compare
- 24 Djibouti 15.9% compare
More health data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 3.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.0305 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 3.21 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0351 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 1.51 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per capita 0.0341 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 30-34, female, annual growth rate 0.4849 % change on previous year (2025)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- People practicing open defecation in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) was 4.4% 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 15.1% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.4% in 2024.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) rank for people practicing open defecation?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 21st out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 48.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 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
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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.