People practicing open defecation in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): People practicing open defecation was 15.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 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 Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) stood at 15.5%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.9% on the previous year and down 32.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 31.9% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 15.5%, in 2024.
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 6th of 47 groups 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 in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 31.9% | — |
| 2001 | 31.3% | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 30.7% | -2.1% |
| 2003 | 30.0% | -2.1% |
| 2004 | 29.4% | -2.1% |
| 2005 | 28.7% | -2.4% |
| 2006 | 28.0% | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 27.3% | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 26.5% | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 25.8% | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 25.1% | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 24.9% | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 24.2% | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 23.5% | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 22.8% | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 22.0% | -3.2% |
| 2016 | 21.3% | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 20.5% | -4.1% |
| 2018 | 19.8% | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 19.1% | -3.5% |
| 2020 | 18.4% | -3.6% |
| 2021 | 17.7% | -3.8% |
| 2022 | 17.0% | -3.7% |
| 2023 | 16.1% | -5.4% |
| 2024 | 15.5% | -3.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 29.0% | 25.8% | 31.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.3% | 19.1% | 25.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.9% | 15.5% | 18.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- 3 South Sudan 62.8% compare
- 4 Chad 62.2% compare
- 5 Benin 47.0% compare
- 6 Solomon Islands 45.3% compare
- 7 Namibia 34.7% compare
- 8 Liberia 33.9% compare
- 9 Sao Tome and Principe 33.3% compare
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per capita 0.0235 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.024 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 3.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, male, annual growth rate 3.97 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per capita 0.0195 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate 3.23 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, annual growth rate 3.83 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- People practicing open defecation in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 15.5% 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 Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 31.9% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.5% in 2024.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for people practicing open defecation?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 6th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 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.