People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) in Lesotho
Lesotho: People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) was 19.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation, rural in Lesotho, 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 Lesotho is 19.7%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 6.9% on the previous year and down 42.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, rural in Lesotho peaked at 54.8% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 19.7%, in 2024.
Lesotho ranks 29th of 171 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 54.8% | — |
| 2001 | 53.3% | -2.7% |
| 2002 | 51.9% | -2.7% |
| 2003 | 50.4% | -2.8% |
| 2004 | 49.0% | -2.9% |
| 2005 | 47.5% | -3.0% |
| 2006 | 46.0% | -3.1% |
| 2007 | 44.6% | -3.2% |
| 2008 | 43.1% | -3.3% |
| 2009 | 41.6% | -3.4% |
| 2010 | 40.2% | -3.5% |
| 2011 | 38.7% | -3.6% |
| 2012 | 37.3% | -3.8% |
| 2013 | 35.8% | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 34.3% | -4.1% |
| 2015 | 32.9% | -4.3% |
| 2016 | 31.4% | -4.4% |
| 2017 | 29.9% | -4.7% |
| 2018 | 28.5% | -4.9% |
| 2019 | 27.0% | -5.1% |
| 2020 | 25.6% | -5.4% |
| 2021 | 24.1% | -5.7% |
| 2022 | 22.6% | -6.1% |
| 2023 | 21.2% | -6.5% |
| 2024 | 19.7% | -6.9% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 19.7% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.0%, 1.8× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 19.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 19.7%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 48.2% | 41.6% | 54.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.6% | 27.0% | 40.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.6% | 19.7% | 25.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 26 Mozambique 23.5% compare
- 27 Congo 23.0% compare
- 28 Ethiopia 20.4% compare
- 30 Democratic Republic of Congo 18.8% compare
- 31 Zimbabwe 18.8% compare
- 32 Marshall Islands 18.7% compare
More health data for Lesotho
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.05 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4669 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 382 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2020)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.8108 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0548 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.7473 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0557 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation, rural in Lesotho?
- People practicing open defecation, rural in Lesotho was 19.7% 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 Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 54.8% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, rural recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.7% in 2024.
- How does Lesotho rank for people practicing open defecation, rural?
- Lesotho ranks 29th out of 171 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation, rural rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 42.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho 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.