People practicing open defecation (% of population) in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: People practicing open defecation (% of population) was 15.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation in Sierra Leone, 2000–2024
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 Sierra Leone stood at 15.3%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 2.6% on the previous year and down 21.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Sierra Leone peaked at 25.5% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 15.3%, in 2024.
Sierra Leone ranks 26th of 214 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People practicing open defecation (% of population) in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 25.5% | — |
| 2001 | 25.1% | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 24.7% | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 24.3% | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 23.9% | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 23.5% | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 23.0% | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 22.6% | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 22.1% | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 21.7% | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 21.3% | -2.0% |
| 2011 | 20.8% | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 20.4% | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 20.0% | -2.1% |
| 2014 | 19.5% | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 19.1% | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 18.7% | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 18.3% | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 17.9% | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 17.4% | -2.4% |
| 2020 | 17.0% | -2.4% |
| 2021 | 16.6% | -2.5% |
| 2022 | 16.2% | -2.5% |
| 2023 | 15.8% | -2.6% |
| 2024 | 15.3% | -2.6% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 15.3% is above the median for low income countries, which is 14.4%, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 15.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12.1%, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 23.6% | 21.7% | 25.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.3% | 17.4% | 21.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.2% | 15.3% | 17.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More health data for Sierra Leone
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.34 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.773 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 4,209 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 38 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.6447 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0663 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.6611 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0676 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation in Sierra Leone?
- People practicing open defecation in Sierra Leone was 15.3% 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 Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 25.5% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.3% in 2024.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for people practicing open defecation?
- Sierra Leone ranks 26th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sierra Leone 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.