People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) in Bolivia
Bolivia: People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) was 24.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation, rural in Bolivia, 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
Bolivia recorded 24.9% 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 6.1% on the previous year and down 39.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, rural in Bolivia peaked at 63.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 24.9%, in 2024.
That places Bolivia 23rd out of 171 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, rural (% of rural population) in Bolivia, year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 63.6% | — |
| 2001 | 62.0% | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 60.4% | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 58.8% | -2.7% |
| 2004 | 57.2% | -2.7% |
| 2005 | 55.6% | -2.8% |
| 2006 | 53.9% | -2.9% |
| 2007 | 52.3% | -3.0% |
| 2008 | 50.7% | -3.1% |
| 2009 | 49.1% | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 47.5% | -3.3% |
| 2011 | 45.9% | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 44.3% | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 42.7% | -3.6% |
| 2014 | 41.0% | -3.8% |
| 2015 | 39.4% | -3.9% |
| 2016 | 37.8% | -4.1% |
| 2017 | 36.2% | -4.3% |
| 2018 | 34.6% | -4.5% |
| 2019 | 33.0% | -4.7% |
| 2020 | 31.4% | -4.9% |
| 2021 | 29.8% | -5.1% |
| 2022 | 28.2% | -5.4% |
| 2023 | 26.5% | -5.7% |
| 2024 | 24.9% | -6.1% |
Bolivia compared with similar countries
- Bolivia's 24.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.0%, 2.3× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Bolivia's 24.9% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1.4%, 17.8× the median. (27 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 56.4% | 49.1% | 63.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 40.2% | 33.0% | 47.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.2% | 24.9% | 31.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bolivia
- 20 Cote d'Ivoire 31.0% compare
- 21 Ghana 30.8% compare
- 22 Somalia 26.4% compare
- 24 Sierra Leone 24.8% compare
- 25 Sudan 24.1% compare
- 26 Mozambique 23.5% compare
More health data for Bolivia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.04 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.3723 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 1,250 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.2082 % 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 0.049 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.2019 % 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 0.0508 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation, rural in Bolivia?
- People practicing open defecation, rural in Bolivia was 24.9% 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 Bolivia?
- The highest recorded value was 63.6% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, rural recorded in Bolivia?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.9% in 2024.
- How does Bolivia rank for people practicing open defecation, rural?
- Bolivia ranks 23rd out of 171 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation, rural rising or falling in Bolivia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 39.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bolivia 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.