People practicing open defecation, rural in Malaysia

Malaysia: People practicing open defecation, rural was 1.1% in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
1.1%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
78th
of 171 countries
All-time high
3.5%
in 2000
All-time low
1.1%
in 2012
Years of data
17
2000–2016

People practicing open defecation, rural in Malaysia, 2000–2016

11.522.533.52000200820162000: 3.5 % of rural population2001: 3.3 % of rural population2002: 3.1 % of rural population2003: 2.9 % of rural population2004: 2.7 % of rural population2005: 2.5 % of rural population2006: 2.3 % of rural population2007: 2.1 % of rural population2008: 1.9 % of rural population2009: 1.7 % of rural population2010: 1.5 % of rural population2011: 1.3 % of rural population2012: 1.1 % of rural population2013: 1.1 % of rural population2014: 1.1 % of rural population2015: 1.1 % of rural population2016: 1.1 % 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 Malaysia is 1.1%, measured in 2016. That is the lowest value across all 17 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 50.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, rural in Malaysia peaked at 3.5% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 2012.

Malaysia ranks 78th of 171 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.

People practicing open defecation, rural in Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) in Malaysia, 2000 to 2016.
Year % of rural population Change
2000 3.5%
2001 3.3% -5.6%
2002 3.1% -6.0%
2003 2.9% -6.3%
2004 2.7% -6.8%
2005 2.5% -7.3%
2006 2.3% -7.8%
2007 2.1% -8.5%
2008 1.9% -9.3%
2009 1.7% -10.2%
2010 1.5% -11.4%
2011 1.3% -12.8%
2012 1.1% -14.7%
2013 1.1% +0.0%
2014 1.1% +0.0%
2015 1.1% +0.0%
2016 1.1% +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2.6% 1.7% 3.5% 10
2010s 1.2% 1.1% 1.5% 7

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 75 Guatemala 1.4% compare
  2. 76 Syrian Arab Republic 1.4% compare
  3. 77 Rwanda 1.3% compare
  4. 79 Paraguay 0.9% compare
  5. 80 Türkiye 0.6% compare
  6. 81 Saudi Arabia 0.6%

See the full ranking of 218 places →

More health data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is people practicing open defecation, rural in Malaysia?
People practicing open defecation, rural in Malaysia was 1.1% in 2016, 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 Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 3.5% in 2000.
What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, rural recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 2012.
How does Malaysia rank for people practicing open defecation, rural?
Malaysia ranks 78th out of 171 countries with data for 2016.
Is people practicing open defecation, rural rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is down 50.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malaysia 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 Malaysia. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/people-practicing-open-defecation-rural-percent-of-rural-population/malaysia/

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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.