People practicing open defecation in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD): People practicing open defecation was 4.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
4.4%
Change on year
down 10.3%
Rank
20th
of 47 groups
All-time high
15.2%
in 2000
All-time low
4.4%
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

People practicing open defecation in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 2000–2024

57.51012.5152000201220242000: 15.2 % of population2001: 15.1 % of population2002: 14.9 % of population2003: 14.8 % of population2004: 14.2 % of population2005: 13.6 % of population2006: 13.1 % of population2007: 12.5 % of population2008: 11.8 % of population2009: 11.3 % of population2010: 10.8 % of population2011: 10.3 % of population2012: 9.7 % of population2013: 9.2 % of population2014: 8.6 % of population2015: 8.1 % of population2016: 7.5 % of population2017: 8.3 % of population2018: 7.7 % of population2019: 7.1 % of population2020: 6.5 % of population2021: 6 % of population2022: 5.4 % of population2023: 4.9 % of population2024: 4.4 % 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 2024, people practicing open defecation in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) stood at 4.4%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is down 10.3% on the previous year and down 48.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) peaked at 15.2% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 4.4%, in 2024.

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 20th of 47 groups 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 in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), year by year

Annual values for People practicing open defecation (% of population) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 2000 to 2024.
Year % of population Change
2000 15.2%
2001 15.1% -0.8%
2002 14.9% -0.9%
2003 14.8% -1.3%
2004 14.2% -3.8%
2005 13.6% -4.0%
2006 13.1% -4.1%
2007 12.5% -4.2%
2008 11.8% -5.3%
2009 11.3% -4.5%
2010 10.8% -4.7%
2011 10.3% -5.0%
2012 9.7% -5.3%
2013 9.2% -5.7%
2014 8.6% -6.0%
2015 8.1% -6.3%
2016 7.5% -6.7%
2017 8.3% +9.7%
2018 7.7% -7.4%
2019 7.1% -7.7%
2020 6.5% -7.9%
2021 6.0% -8.4%
2022 5.4% -8.9%
2023 4.9% -9.1%
2024 4.4% -10.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 13.7% 11.3% 15.2% 10
2010s 8.7% 7.1% 10.8% 10
2020s 5.5% 4.4% 6.5% 5

Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

  1. 17 Ghana 17.8% compare
  2. 18 Haiti 17.5% compare
  3. 19 Côte d'Ivoire 16.7% compare
  4. 20 Sudan 16.4% compare
  5. 21 Ethiopia 16.2% compare
  6. 22 Mauritania 16.2% compare
  7. 23 Mozambique 16.0% compare

See the full ranking of 261 places →

More health data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) →

Frequently asked questions

What is people practicing open defecation in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
People practicing open defecation in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 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 (IDA & IBRD)?
The highest recorded value was 15.2% in 2000.
What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
The lowest recorded value was 4.4% in 2024.
How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) rank for people practicing open defecation?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 20th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
Over the last ten years it is down 48.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD). Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/people-practicing-open-defecation-percent-of-population/middle-east-north-africa-afghanistan-and-pakistan-ida-and-ibrd/

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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.