People practicing open defecation (% of population) in Tanzania
Tanzania: People practicing open defecation (% of population) was 6.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation in Tanzania, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
Tanzania recorded 6.8% for people practicing open defecation in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.9% on the previous year and down 23.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Tanzania peaked at 11.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 6.8%, in 2024.
That places Tanzania 40th 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 Tanzania, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 11.6% | — |
| 2001 | 11.4% | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 11.2% | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 11.0% | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 10.8% | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 10.6% | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 10.4% | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 10.2% | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 10.0% | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 9.8% | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 9.6% | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 9.4% | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 9.2% | -2.2% |
| 2013 | 9.0% | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 8.8% | -2.3% |
| 2015 | 8.6% | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 8.4% | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 8.2% | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 8.0% | -2.5% |
| 2019 | 7.8% | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 7.6% | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 7.4% | -2.7% |
| 2022 | 7.2% | -2.7% |
| 2023 | 7.0% | -2.8% |
| 2024 | 6.8% | -2.9% |
Tanzania compared with similar countries
- Tanzania's 6.8% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.7%, 1.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Tanzania's 6.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12.1%, 56% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10.7% | 9.8% | 11.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.7% | 7.8% | 9.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.2% | 6.8% | 7.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Tanzania
- 37 Guinea-Bissau 7.7% compare
- 38 Bolivia 7.1% compare
- 39 Marshall Islands 6.8% compare
- 41 Myanmar 6.7% compare
- 42 India 6.7% compare
- 43 Saint Lucia 6.2% compare
More health data for Tanzania
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.03 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7342 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 32,514 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 13 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.86 % 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 0.0786 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.89 % 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 0.0805 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation in Tanzania?
- People practicing open defecation in Tanzania was 6.8% 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 Tanzania?
- The highest recorded value was 11.6% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Tanzania?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.8% in 2024.
- How does Tanzania rank for people practicing open defecation?
- Tanzania ranks 40th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Tanzania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Tanzania 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.