People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population): Q1 in South Africa

South Africa: People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population): Q1 was 9.6% in 2017. ▼ Falling

Latest (2017)
9.6%
Change on year
down 13.7%
World rank
60th
of 97 countries
All-time high
34.0%
in 2000
All-time low
9.6%
in 2017
Years of data
18
2000–2017

People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population): Q1 in South Africa, 2000–2017

1015202530352000200820172000: 34 lowest2001: 34 lowest2002: 32.5 lowest2003: 30.9 lowest2004: 29.4 lowest2005: 27.9 lowest2006: 26.4 lowest2007: 24.8 lowest2008: 23.3 lowest2009: 21.8 lowest2010: 20.3 lowest2011: 18.7 lowest2012: 17.2 lowest2013: 15.7 lowest2014: 14.2 lowest2015: 12.6 lowest2016: 11.1 lowest2017: 9.6 lowest

Source: World Bank. Measured in lowest.

Analysis

The most recent figure for people practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population): q1 in South Africa is 9.6%, measured in 2017. That is the lowest value across all 18 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.7% on the previous year and down 61.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population): q1 in South Africa peaked at 34.0% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 9.6%, in 2017.

South Africa ranks 60th of 97 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 18 years of available data.

People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population): Q1 in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population): Q1 (lowest) in South Africa, 2000 to 2017.
Year lowest Change
2000 34.0%
2001 34.0% +0.0%
2002 32.5% -4.5%
2003 30.9% -4.7%
2004 29.4% -4.9%
2005 27.9% -5.2%
2006 26.4% -5.5%
2007 24.8% -5.8%
2008 23.3% -6.1%
2009 21.8% -6.5%
2010 20.3% -7.0%
2011 18.7% -7.5%
2012 17.2% -8.1%
2013 15.7% -8.9%
2014 14.2% -9.7%
2015 12.6% -10.8%
2016 11.1% -12.1%
2017 9.6% -13.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 28.5% 21.8% 34.0% 10
2010s 14.9% 9.6% 20.3% 8

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 57 Malawi 14.8% compare
  2. 58 Nepal 14.1% compare
  3. 59 Algeria 13.1% compare
  4. 61 Gabon 9.0% compare
  5. 62 Mexico 8.5% compare
  6. 63 Gambia 7.7% compare

See the full ranking of 97 places →

More health data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is people practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population): q1 in South Africa?
People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population): q1 in South Africa was 9.6% in 2017, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest people practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population): q1 recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 34.0% in 2000.
What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population): q1 recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 9.6% in 2017.
How does South Africa rank for people practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population): q1?
South Africa ranks 60th out of 97 countries with data for 2017.
Is people practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population): q1 rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 61.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population): Q1 (lowest). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 18 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population): Q1 in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/people-practicing-open-defecation-rural-percent-of-rural-population-q1-lowest/south-africa/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://health.statizoid.com/stat/people-practicing-open-defecation-rural-percent-of-rural-population-q1-lowest/south-africa/">People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population): Q1 in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population): Q1 (lowest)
Unit
lowest
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
97 places, 1,663 data points, 2000–2017
Last refreshed