People practicing open defecation in Nigeria
Nigeria: People practicing open defecation was 18.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation in Nigeria, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 18.0% for people practicing open defecation in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 13.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Nigeria peaked at 24.3% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 18.0%, in 2024.
That places Nigeria 16th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People practicing open defecation in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 24.3% | — |
| 2001 | 24.1% | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 23.9% | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 23.7% | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 23.4% | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 23.2% | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 22.9% | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 22.7% | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 22.4% | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 22.2% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 21.9% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 21.6% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 21.4% | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 21.1% | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 20.8% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 20.5% | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 20.2% | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 19.9% | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 19.6% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 19.3% | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 19.0% | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 18.7% | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 18.4% | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 18.1% | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 18.0% | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 23.3% | 22.2% | 24.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.6% | 19.3% | 21.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.5% | 18.0% | 19.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 13 Madagascar 27.0% compare
- 14 Angola 25.7% compare
- 15 Central African Republic 24.7% compare
- 17 Ghana 17.8% compare
- 18 Haiti 17.5% compare
- 19 Cote d'Ivoire 16.7% compare
More health data for Nigeria
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.08 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.8137 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,301 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 257,921 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate 0.842 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.1997 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 0.8652 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.2055 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation in Nigeria?
- People practicing open defecation in Nigeria was 18.0% 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 Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 24.3% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.0% in 2024.
- How does Nigeria rank for people practicing open defecation?
- Nigeria ranks 16th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nigeria 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.