People practicing open defecation, rural in Lao People's Democratic Republic

Lao People's Democratic Republic: People practicing open defecation, rural was 14.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
14.3%
Change on year
down 14.7%
World rank
36th
of 171 countries
All-time high
72.8%
in 2000
All-time low
14.3%
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

People practicing open defecation, rural in Lao People's Democratic Republic, 2000–2024

204060802000201220242000: 72.8 % of rural population2001: 70.4 % of rural population2002: 68 % of rural population2003: 65.5 % of rural population2004: 63.1 % of rural population2005: 60.6 % of rural population2006: 58.2 % of rural population2007: 55.8 % of rural population2008: 53.3 % of rural population2009: 50.9 % of rural population2010: 48.5 % of rural population2011: 46 % of rural population2012: 43.6 % of rural population2013: 41.1 % of rural population2014: 38.7 % of rural population2015: 36.3 % of rural population2016: 33.8 % of rural population2017: 31.4 % of rural population2018: 28.9 % of rural population2019: 26.5 % of rural population2020: 24.1 % of rural population2021: 21.6 % of rural population2022: 19.2 % of rural population2023: 16.8 % of rural population2024: 14.3 % of rural population

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 Lao People's Democratic Republic stood at 14.3%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

That represents a change of down 14.7% on the previous year and down 63.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, rural in Lao People's Democratic Republic peaked at 72.8% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 14.3%, in 2024.

That places Lao People's Democratic Republic 36th 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 Lao People's Democratic Republic, year by year

Annual values for People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) in Lao People's Democratic Republic, 2000 to 2024.
Year % of rural population Change
2000 72.8%
2001 70.4% -3.3%
2002 68.0% -3.5%
2003 65.5% -3.6%
2004 63.1% -3.7%
2005 60.6% -3.9%
2006 58.2% -4.0%
2007 55.8% -4.2%
2008 53.3% -4.4%
2009 50.9% -4.6%
2010 48.5% -4.8%
2011 46.0% -5.0%
2012 43.6% -5.3%
2013 41.1% -5.6%
2014 38.7% -5.9%
2015 36.3% -6.3%
2016 33.8% -6.7%
2017 31.4% -7.2%
2018 28.9% -7.8%
2019 26.5% -8.4%
2020 24.1% -9.2%
2021 21.6% -10.1%
2022 19.2% -11.3%
2023 16.8% -12.7%
2024 14.3% -14.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 61.9% 50.9% 72.8% 10
2010s 37.5% 26.5% 48.5% 10
2020s 19.2% 14.3% 24.1% 5

Countries ranked near Lao People's Democratic Republic

  1. 33 Papua New Guinea 17.3% compare
  2. 34 Botswana 16.7% compare
  3. 35 Afghanistan 15.4% compare
  4. 37 Guinea-Bissau 14.2% compare
  5. 38 Mongolia 13.7% compare
  6. 39 Pakistan 13.0% compare

See the full ranking of 218 places →

More health data for Lao People's Democratic Republic

All data for Lao People's Democratic Republic →

Frequently asked questions

What is people practicing open defecation, rural in Lao People's Democratic Republic?
People practicing open defecation, rural in Lao People's Democratic Republic was 14.3% 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 Lao People's Democratic Republic?
The highest recorded value was 72.8% in 2000.
What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, rural recorded in Lao People's Democratic Republic?
The lowest recorded value was 14.3% in 2024.
How does Lao People's Democratic Republic rank for people practicing open defecation, rural?
Lao People's Democratic Republic ranks 36th out of 171 countries with data for 2024.
Is people practicing open defecation, rural rising or falling in Lao People's Democratic Republic?
Over the last ten years it is down 63.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Lao People's Democratic Republic 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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People practicing open defecation, rural in Lao People's Democratic Republic. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/people-practicing-open-defecation-rural-percent-of-rural-population/lao-pdr/

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About this data

Indicator
People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population)
Unit
% of rural population
Source
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
218 places, 5,299 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

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.