People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) in Kenya
Kenya: People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) was 8.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation, rural in Kenya, 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
Kenya recorded 8.1% 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 5.9% on the previous year and down 38.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, rural in Kenya peaked at 20.4% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 8.1%, in 2024.
Kenya ranks 49th of 171 countries on this measure, 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 (% of rural population) in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 20.4% | — |
| 2001 | 19.9% | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 19.4% | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 18.9% | -2.6% |
| 2004 | 18.4% | -2.7% |
| 2005 | 17.9% | -2.8% |
| 2006 | 17.4% | -2.9% |
| 2007 | 16.8% | -3.0% |
| 2008 | 16.3% | -3.0% |
| 2009 | 15.8% | -3.1% |
| 2010 | 15.3% | -3.2% |
| 2011 | 14.8% | -3.3% |
| 2012 | 14.3% | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 13.8% | -3.6% |
| 2014 | 13.3% | -3.7% |
| 2015 | 12.7% | -3.9% |
| 2016 | 12.2% | -4.0% |
| 2017 | 11.7% | -4.2% |
| 2018 | 11.2% | -4.4% |
| 2019 | 10.7% | -4.6% |
| 2020 | 10.2% | -4.8% |
| 2021 | 9.7% | -5.0% |
| 2022 | 9.2% | -5.3% |
| 2023 | 8.6% | -5.6% |
| 2024 | 8.1% | -5.9% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 8.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.0%, 74% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 8.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 19.7%, 41% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 18.1% | 15.8% | 20.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.0% | 10.7% | 15.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.2% | 8.1% | 10.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More health data for Kenya
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.6026 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 16,059 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 89 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.28 % 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 0.0621 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.28 % 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 0.063 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation, rural in Kenya?
- People practicing open defecation, rural in Kenya was 8.1% 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 20.4% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, rural recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.1% in 2024.
- How does Kenya rank for people practicing open defecation, rural?
- Kenya ranks 49th out of 171 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation, rural rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 38.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya 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.