People practicing open defecation, rural in Cameroon
Cameroon: People practicing open defecation, rural was 9.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation, rural in Cameroon, 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
In 2024, people practicing open defecation, rural in Cameroon stood at 9.7%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 16.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, rural in Cameroon peaked at 14.4% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 9.7%, in 2024.
That places Cameroon 47th out of 171 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People practicing open defecation, rural in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 14.4% | — |
| 2001 | 14.2% | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 14.0% | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 13.8% | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 13.6% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 13.4% | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 13.2% | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 13.0% | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 12.8% | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 12.6% | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 12.4% | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 12.2% | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 12.1% | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 11.9% | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 11.7% | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 11.5% | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 11.3% | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 11.1% | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 10.9% | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 10.7% | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 10.5% | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 10.3% | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 10.1% | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 9.9% | -1.9% |
| 2024 | 9.7% | -2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 13.5% | 12.6% | 14.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.6% | 10.7% | 12.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.1% | 9.7% | 10.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
More health data for Cameroon
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.28 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7821 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 786.1 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 12,841 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 75-79, female, annual growth rate 1.81 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per capita 0.0026 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, annual growth rate 1.95 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per capita 0.002 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation, rural in Cameroon?
- People practicing open defecation, rural in Cameroon was 9.7% 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 Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 14.4% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, rural recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.7% in 2024.
- How does Cameroon rank for people practicing open defecation, rural?
- Cameroon ranks 47th out of 171 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation, rural rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Cameroon 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.