People practicing open defecation (% of population) in Small states
Small states: People practicing open defecation (% of population) was 3.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation in Small states, 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 Small states is 3.8%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 18.5% on the previous year and down 42.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Small states peaked at 11.4% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 3.8%, in 2024.
That places Small states 24th 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 (% of population) in Small states, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 9.7% | — |
| 2001 | 9.5% | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 11.4% | +20.3% |
| 2003 | 11.2% | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 10.9% | -2.9% |
| 2005 | 9.5% | -12.4% |
| 2006 | 8.9% | -6.4% |
| 2007 | 8.6% | -3.0% |
| 2008 | 8.4% | -3.2% |
| 2009 | 8.1% | -3.3% |
| 2010 | 7.8% | -3.4% |
| 2011 | 7.6% | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 7.3% | -3.6% |
| 2013 | 7.0% | -3.8% |
| 2014 | 6.7% | -3.9% |
| 2015 | 6.5% | -4.1% |
| 2016 | 6.2% | -4.0% |
| 2017 | 5.9% | -4.2% |
| 2018 | 5.7% | -4.2% |
| 2019 | 5.4% | -4.6% |
| 2020 | 5.3% | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 5.0% | -4.7% |
| 2022 | 4.8% | -4.7% |
| 2023 | 4.7% | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 3.8% | -18.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9.6% | 8.1% | 11.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.6% | 5.4% | 7.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.7% | 3.8% | 5.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Small states
- 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
- 27 Lesotho 14.8% compare
More health data for Small states
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate 1.91 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per capita 0.0359 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, female, annual growth rate 0.1601 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 2.29 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.0336 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per capita 0.0365 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, annual growth rate 1.16 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation in Small states?
- People practicing open defecation in Small states was 3.8% 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 Small states?
- The highest recorded value was 11.4% in 2002.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Small states?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.8% in 2024.
- How does Small states rank for people practicing open defecation?
- Small states ranks 24th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Small states?
- Over the last ten years it is down 42.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Small states 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.