People practicing open defecation in South Asia
South Asia: People practicing open defecation was 5.8% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
People practicing open defecation in South Asia, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
South Asia recorded 5.8% for people practicing open defecation in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 25.9% on the previous year and down 80.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in South Asia peaked at 65.7% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 5.8%, in 2024.
That places South Asia 15th out of 45 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
People practicing open defecation in South Asia, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 65.7% | — |
| 2001 | 63.1% | -4.0% |
| 2002 | 60.4% | -4.2% |
| 2003 | 57.8% | -4.3% |
| 2004 | 55.2% | -4.5% |
| 2005 | 52.6% | -4.7% |
| 2006 | 50.0% | -4.9% |
| 2007 | 47.4% | -5.2% |
| 2008 | 44.9% | -5.4% |
| 2009 | 42.3% | -5.7% |
| 2010 | 39.8% | -6.0% |
| 2011 | 37.2% | -6.4% |
| 2012 | 34.7% | -6.8% |
| 2013 | 32.2% | -7.2% |
| 2014 | 29.7% | -7.8% |
| 2015 | 27.2% | -8.4% |
| 2016 | 24.7% | -9.1% |
| 2017 | 22.3% | -10.0% |
| 2018 | 19.8% | -11.0% |
| 2019 | 17.4% | -12.3% |
| 2020 | 14.9% | -14.1% |
| 2021 | 12.5% | -15.9% |
| 2022 | 10.2% | -18.7% |
| 2023 | 7.9% | -22.7% |
| 2024 | 5.8% | -25.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 53.9% | 42.3% | 65.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.5% | 17.4% | 39.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.3% | 5.8% | 14.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
- 12 Burkina Faso 29.9% compare
- 13 Madagascar 27.0% compare
- 14 Angola 25.7% compare
- 15 Central African Republic 24.7% compare
- 16 Nigeria 18.0% compare
- 17 Ghana 17.8% compare
- 18 Haiti 17.5% compare
More health data for South Asia
- Population ages 65 and above, male, annual growth rate 4.15 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, per capita 0.3493 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total, annual growth rate 1.17 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total, per capita 0.6806 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, female, annual growth rate 3.93 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, female, per capita 0.0385 units per person (2025)
- Population, female, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation in South Asia?
- People practicing open defecation in South Asia was 5.8% 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 South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 65.7% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.8% in 2024.
- How does South Asia rank for people practicing open defecation?
- South Asia ranks 15th out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 80.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Asia 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
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.