People practicing open defecation, rural in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries): People practicing open defecation, rural was 3.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation, rural in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), 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 Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) stood at 3.3%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it 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 & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 28.9% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 3.3%, in 2024.
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 28th of 47 groups 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 in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 28.9% | — |
| 2001 | 27.8% | -3.7% |
| 2002 | 26.7% | -3.9% |
| 2003 | 25.6% | -4.1% |
| 2004 | 24.6% | -4.2% |
| 2005 | 23.4% | -4.9% |
| 2006 | 21.8% | -6.7% |
| 2007 | 20.7% | -4.8% |
| 2008 | 19.7% | -5.1% |
| 2009 | 18.6% | -5.4% |
| 2010 | 17.6% | -5.7% |
| 2011 | 16.5% | -6.1% |
| 2012 | 15.4% | -6.4% |
| 2013 | 14.4% | -6.8% |
| 2014 | 13.3% | -7.3% |
| 2015 | 12.5% | -6.6% |
| 2016 | 11.4% | -8.5% |
| 2017 | 10.4% | -9.2% |
| 2018 | 9.3% | -10.0% |
| 2019 | 8.3% | -11.0% |
| 2020 | 7.3% | -11.8% |
| 2021 | 6.3% | -14.2% |
| 2022 | 5.3% | -14.8% |
| 2023 | 5.0% | -6.7% |
| 2024 | 3.3% | -33.6% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where People practicing open defecation, rural in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | -33.6% | 5.0% | 3.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 23.8% | 18.6% | 28.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.9% | 8.3% | 17.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.4% | 3.3% | 7.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
More health data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Population ages 45-49, female, annual growth rate 1.89 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, male, per capita 0.0311 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, female, per capita 0.0384 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, male, annual growth rate 1.93 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per capita 0.033 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, male, annual growth rate -0.308 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.036 units per person (2025)
All data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation, rural in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- People practicing open defecation, rural in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) was 3.3% 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 Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 28.9% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, rural recorded in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.3% in 2024.
- How does Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for people practicing open defecation, rural?
- Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 28th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation, rural rising or falling in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- 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 & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 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.
Download this data
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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.