People practicing open defecation (% of population) in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: People practicing open defecation (% of population) was 12.6% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation in Zimbabwe, 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 Zimbabwe stood at 12.6%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 6.7% on the previous year and down 41.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation in Zimbabwe peaked at 33.1% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 12.6%, in 2024.
Zimbabwe ranks 29th of 214 countries 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 (% of population) in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 33.1% | — |
| 2001 | 32.9% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 31.8% | -3.3% |
| 2003 | 31.0% | -2.7% |
| 2004 | 30.2% | -2.6% |
| 2005 | 29.3% | -2.7% |
| 2006 | 28.5% | -2.8% |
| 2007 | 27.7% | -2.9% |
| 2008 | 26.8% | -3.0% |
| 2009 | 26.0% | -3.1% |
| 2010 | 25.2% | -3.2% |
| 2011 | 24.3% | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 23.5% | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 22.6% | -3.6% |
| 2014 | 21.7% | -3.8% |
| 2015 | 20.9% | -4.1% |
| 2016 | 20.0% | -4.3% |
| 2017 | 19.1% | -4.5% |
| 2018 | 18.2% | -4.8% |
| 2019 | 17.2% | -5.1% |
| 2020 | 16.3% | -5.4% |
| 2021 | 15.4% | -5.7% |
| 2022 | 14.4% | -6.1% |
| 2023 | 13.5% | -6.3% |
| 2024 | 12.6% | -6.7% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 12.6% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.7%, 1.9× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 12.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12.1%, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 29.7% | 26.0% | 33.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.3% | 17.2% | 25.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.5% | 12.6% | 16.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
- 26 Sierra Leone 15.3% compare
- 27 Lesotho 14.8% compare
- 28 Somalia 14.4% compare
- 30 Democratic Republic of Congo 11.7% compare
- 31 Afghanistan 11.2% compare
- 32 Micronesia (country) 9.5% compare
More health data for Zimbabwe
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.39 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.11 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 4,457 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.9632 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0689 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.9673 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0701 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation in Zimbabwe?
- People practicing open defecation in Zimbabwe was 12.6% 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 Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 33.1% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.6% in 2024.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for people practicing open defecation?
- Zimbabwe ranks 29th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 41.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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.