People practicing open defecation, rural in Madagascar

Madagascar: People practicing open defecation, rural was 36.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
36.5%
Change on year
down 1.9%
World rank
16th
of 171 countries
All-time high
53.3%
in 2000
All-time low
36.5%
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

People practicing open defecation, rural in Madagascar, 2000–2024

02040602000201220242000: 53.3 % of rural population2001: 52.6 % of rural population2002: 51.9 % of rural population2003: 51.2 % of rural population2004: 50.5 % of rural population2005: 49.8 % of rural population2006: 49.1 % of rural population2007: 48.4 % of rural population2008: 47.7 % of rural population2009: 47 % of rural population2010: 46.3 % of rural population2011: 45.6 % of rural population2012: 44.9 % of rural population2013: 44.2 % of rural population2014: 43.5 % of rural population2015: 42.8 % of rural population2016: 42.1 % of rural population2017: 41.4 % of rural population2018: 40.7 % of rural population2019: 40 % of rural population2020: 39.3 % of rural population2021: 38.6 % of rural population2022: 37.9 % of rural population2023: 37.2 % of rural population2024: 36.5 % 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

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 in Madagascar, year by year

Annual values for People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) in Madagascar, 2000 to 2024.
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%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 13 Sao Tome and Principe 43.2% compare
  2. 14 Burkina Faso 42.3% compare
  3. 15 Central African Republic 38.8% compare
  4. 17 Mauritania 36.3% compare
  5. 18 Haiti 31.5% compare
  6. 19 Nigeria 31.2% compare

See the full ranking of 218 places →

More health data for Madagascar

All data for Madagascar →

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.

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People practicing open defecation, rural in Madagascar. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/people-practicing-open-defecation-rural-percent-of-rural-population/madagascar/

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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.