People practicing open defecation, rural in India
India: People practicing open defecation, rural was 10.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation, rural in India, 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
India recorded 10.7% for people practicing open defecation, rural in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 23.9% on the previous year and down 76.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, rural in India peaked at 91.4% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 10.7%, in 2024.
That places India 42nd 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 in India, year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 91.4% | — |
| 2001 | 88.1% | -3.7% |
| 2002 | 84.7% | -3.8% |
| 2003 | 81.3% | -4.0% |
| 2004 | 78.0% | -4.1% |
| 2005 | 74.6% | -4.3% |
| 2006 | 71.3% | -4.5% |
| 2007 | 67.9% | -4.7% |
| 2008 | 64.5% | -4.9% |
| 2009 | 61.2% | -5.2% |
| 2010 | 57.8% | -5.5% |
| 2011 | 54.5% | -5.8% |
| 2012 | 51.1% | -6.2% |
| 2013 | 47.8% | -6.6% |
| 2014 | 44.4% | -7.0% |
| 2015 | 41.0% | -7.6% |
| 2016 | 37.7% | -8.2% |
| 2017 | 34.3% | -8.9% |
| 2018 | 31.0% | -9.8% |
| 2019 | 27.6% | -10.8% |
| 2020 | 24.2% | -12.4% |
| 2021 | 20.8% | -14.1% |
| 2022 | 17.4% | -16.3% |
| 2023 | 14.0% | -19.4% |
| 2024 | 10.7% | -23.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 76.3% | 61.2% | 91.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 42.7% | 27.6% | 57.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.4% | 10.7% | 24.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
- 39 Pakistan 13.0% compare
- 40 Timor-Leste 11.7% compare
- 41 Senegal 11.3% compare
- 43 Tanzania, United Republic of 10.6% compare
- 44 Cape Verde 10.1% compare
- 45 Colombia 9.9% compare
More health data for India
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.12 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4372 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,332 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 44,822 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 65-69, male, annual growth rate 2.84 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per capita 0.0145 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, annual growth rate 4.51 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per capita 0.0109 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation, rural in India?
- People practicing open defecation, rural in India was 10.7% 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 91.4% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, rural recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.7% in 2024.
- How does India rank for people practicing open defecation, rural?
- India ranks 42nd out of 171 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation, rural rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 76.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this India 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.