People practicing open defecation, rural in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: People practicing open defecation, rural was 3.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation, rural in Latin America & Caribbean, 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
The most recent figure for people practicing open defecation, rural in Latin America & Caribbean is 3.2%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 33.6% on the previous year and down 75.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, rural in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 28.3% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 3.2%, in 2024.
That places Latin America & Caribbean 31st out of 47 groups 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 Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 28.3% | — |
| 2001 | 27.3% | -3.7% |
| 2002 | 26.2% | -3.9% |
| 2003 | 25.1% | -4.1% |
| 2004 | 24.1% | -4.2% |
| 2005 | 22.9% | -4.9% |
| 2006 | 21.4% | -6.6% |
| 2007 | 20.4% | -4.8% |
| 2008 | 19.3% | -5.1% |
| 2009 | 18.3% | -5.4% |
| 2010 | 17.2% | -5.7% |
| 2011 | 16.2% | -6.1% |
| 2012 | 15.2% | -6.4% |
| 2013 | 14.1% | -6.8% |
| 2014 | 13.1% | -7.3% |
| 2015 | 12.2% | -6.7% |
| 2016 | 11.2% | -8.5% |
| 2017 | 10.2% | -9.2% |
| 2018 | 9.1% | -10.0% |
| 2019 | 8.1% | -11.0% |
| 2020 | 7.2% | -11.8% |
| 2021 | 6.1% | -14.2% |
| 2022 | 5.2% | -14.8% |
| 2023 | 4.9% | -6.7% |
| 2024 | 3.2% | -33.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 23.3% | 18.3% | 28.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.7% | 8.1% | 17.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.3% | 3.2% | 7.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
- 28 Ethiopia 20.4% compare
- 29 Lesotho 19.7% compare
- 30 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 18.8% compare
- 31 Zimbabwe 18.8% compare
- 32 Marshall Islands 18.7% compare
- 33 Papua New Guinea 17.3% compare
- 34 Botswana 16.7% compare
More health data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Population ages 35-39, female, per capita 0.0377 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 1.43 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.0359 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate 1.16 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0369 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, annual growth rate 0.903 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 30-34, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation, rural in Latin America & Caribbean?
- People practicing open defecation, rural in Latin America & Caribbean was 3.2% 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 Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 28.3% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, rural recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.2% in 2024.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for people practicing open defecation, rural?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 31st out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation, rural rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is down 75.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean 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.