People practicing open defecation in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan: People practicing open defecation was 3.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan recorded 3.9% for people practicing open defecation in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.5% on the previous year and down 51.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan peaked at 14.7% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 3.9%, in 2024.
That places Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 23rd 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, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 14.7% | — |
| 2001 | 14.5% | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 14.4% | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 14.2% | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 13.6% | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 13.1% | -4.0% |
| 2006 | 12.5% | -4.2% |
| 2007 | 12.0% | -4.4% |
| 2008 | 11.3% | -5.4% |
| 2009 | 10.8% | -4.6% |
| 2010 | 10.3% | -4.7% |
| 2011 | 9.8% | -5.0% |
| 2012 | 9.3% | -5.4% |
| 2013 | 8.7% | -5.8% |
| 2014 | 8.2% | -6.1% |
| 2015 | 7.7% | -6.4% |
| 2016 | 6.8% | -10.8% |
| 2017 | 7.4% | +7.8% |
| 2018 | 6.8% | -7.2% |
| 2019 | 6.3% | -7.6% |
| 2020 | 5.8% | -7.9% |
| 2021 | 5.4% | -8.1% |
| 2022 | 4.9% | -9.1% |
| 2023 | 4.4% | -9.3% |
| 2024 | 3.9% | -10.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 13.1% | 10.8% | 14.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.1% | 6.3% | 10.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.9% | 3.9% | 5.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
- 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
- 25 Papua New Guinea 15.6% compare
- 26 Sierra Leone 15.3% compare
More health data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, annual growth rate 1.93 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0387 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate 3.33 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 3.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per capita 0.0337 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per capita 0.0344 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.0305 units per person (2025)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan →
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- People practicing open defecation in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan was 3.9% 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 14.7% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.9% in 2024.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan rank for people practicing open defecation?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 23rd out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 51.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 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.