People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) was 15.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation, rural in Afghanistan, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of rural population.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 15.4% for people practicing open defecation, rural in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.7% on the previous year and down 28.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, rural in Afghanistan peaked at 29.1% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 15.4%, in 2024.
Afghanistan ranks 35th of 171 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, rural (% of rural population) in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 29.1% | — |
| 2001 | 29.1% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 28.5% | -2.1% |
| 2003 | 27.9% | -2.1% |
| 2004 | 27.3% | -2.1% |
| 2005 | 26.7% | -2.2% |
| 2006 | 26.1% | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 25.5% | -2.3% |
| 2008 | 24.9% | -2.3% |
| 2009 | 24.3% | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 23.7% | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 23.1% | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 22.5% | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 21.9% | -2.7% |
| 2014 | 21.3% | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 20.7% | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 20.1% | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 19.5% | -3.0% |
| 2018 | 18.9% | -3.1% |
| 2019 | 18.3% | -3.2% |
| 2020 | 17.8% | -3.3% |
| 2021 | 17.2% | -3.4% |
| 2022 | 16.6% | -3.5% |
| 2023 | 16.0% | -3.6% |
| 2024 | 15.4% | -3.7% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 15.4% is below the median for low income countries, which is 20.4%, 75% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 15.4% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.1%, 274.2× the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 27.0% | 24.3% | 29.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.0% | 18.3% | 23.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.6% | 15.4% | 17.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
- 32 Marshall Islands 18.7% compare
- 33 Papua New Guinea 17.3% compare
- 34 Botswana 16.7% compare
- 36 Laos 14.3% compare
- 37 Guinea-Bissau 14.2% compare
- 38 Mongolia 13.7% compare
More health data for Afghanistan
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.45 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.03 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 14,735 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 19 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.077 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.75 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0804 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation, rural in Afghanistan?
- People practicing open defecation, rural in Afghanistan was 15.4% 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, rural recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 29.1% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, rural recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.4% in 2024.
- How does Afghanistan rank for people practicing open defecation, rural?
- Afghanistan ranks 35th out of 171 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation, rural rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Afghanistan 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, rural (% of rural 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.