People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) in Madagascar
Madagascar: People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) was 36.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation, rural in Madagascar, 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 Madagascar is 36.5%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.9% on the previous year and down 16.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, rural in Madagascar peaked at 53.3% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 36.5%, in 2024.
Madagascar ranks 16th of 171 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) in Madagascar, year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 53.3% | — |
| 2001 | 52.6% | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 51.9% | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 51.2% | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 50.5% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 49.8% | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 49.1% | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 48.4% | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 47.7% | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 47.0% | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 46.3% | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 45.6% | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 44.9% | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 44.2% | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 43.5% | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 42.8% | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 42.1% | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 41.4% | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 40.7% | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 40.0% | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 39.3% | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 38.6% | -1.8% |
| 2022 | 37.9% | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 37.2% | -1.8% |
| 2024 | 36.5% | -1.9% |
Madagascar compared with similar countries
- Madagascar's 36.5% is above the median for low income countries, which is 20.4%, 1.8× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Madagascar's 36.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 19.7%, 1.9× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 50.1% | 47.0% | 53.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 43.1% | 40.0% | 46.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.9% | 36.5% | 39.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Madagascar
- 13 Sao Tome and Principe 43.2% compare
- 14 Burkina Faso 42.3% compare
- 15 Central African Republic 38.8% compare
- 17 Mauritania 36.3% compare
- 18 Haiti 31.5% compare
- 19 Nigeria 31.2% compare
More health data for Madagascar
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.87 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4912 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 14,569 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 63 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.32 % 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 0.071 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.3 % 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 0.0731 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation, rural in Madagascar?
- People practicing open defecation, rural in Madagascar was 36.5% 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 Madagascar?
- The highest recorded value was 53.3% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, rural recorded in Madagascar?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.5% in 2024.
- How does Madagascar rank for people practicing open defecation, rural?
- Madagascar ranks 16th out of 171 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation, rural rising or falling in Madagascar?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Madagascar 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.