People practicing open defecation (% of population) in Somalia
Somalia: People practicing open defecation (% of population) was 14.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation in Somalia, 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 Somalia is 14.4%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 9.8% on the previous year and down 53.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Somalia peaked at 59.3% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 14.4%, in 2024.
That places Somalia 28th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Somalia, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 59.3% | — |
| 2001 | 57.3% | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 55.4% | -3.4% |
| 2003 | 53.2% | -4.0% |
| 2004 | 51.0% | -4.1% |
| 2005 | 48.8% | -4.2% |
| 2006 | 46.7% | -4.4% |
| 2007 | 46.6% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 44.0% | -5.6% |
| 2009 | 41.5% | -5.8% |
| 2010 | 39.0% | -6.0% |
| 2011 | 36.5% | -6.3% |
| 2012 | 34.7% | -5.0% |
| 2013 | 32.9% | -5.2% |
| 2014 | 31.1% | -5.4% |
| 2015 | 29.4% | -5.7% |
| 2016 | 27.6% | -5.9% |
| 2017 | 25.9% | -6.2% |
| 2018 | 24.2% | -6.6% |
| 2019 | 22.5% | -6.9% |
| 2020 | 20.8% | -7.4% |
| 2021 | 19.2% | -7.8% |
| 2022 | 17.6% | -8.4% |
| 2023 | 16.0% | -9.0% |
| 2024 | 14.4% | -9.8% |
Somalia compared with similar countries
- Somalia's 14.4% is above the median for low income countries, which is 14.4%, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Somalia's 14.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12.1%, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 50.4% | 41.5% | 59.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.4% | 22.5% | 39.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.6% | 14.4% | 20.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
- 25 Papua New Guinea 15.6% compare
- 26 Sierra Leone 15.3% compare
- 27 Lesotho 14.8% compare
- 29 Zimbabwe 12.6% compare
- 30 Democratic Republic of Congo 11.7% compare
- 31 Afghanistan 11.2% compare
More health data for Somalia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.41 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.8681 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 32,421 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 182 (2013)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 2.39 % 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 0.0897 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 2.38 % 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 0.0926 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation in Somalia?
- People practicing open defecation in Somalia was 14.4% 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 Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 59.3% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.4% in 2024.
- How does Somalia rank for people practicing open defecation?
- Somalia ranks 28th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 53.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Somalia 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.