People practicing open defecation, rural in Mauritania
Mauritania: People practicing open defecation, rural was 36.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation, rural in Mauritania, 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 Mauritania stood at 36.3%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 5.0% on the previous year and down 34.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, rural in Mauritania peaked at 82.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 36.3%, in 2024.
Mauritania ranks 17th 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 Mauritania, year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 82.6% | — |
| 2001 | 80.7% | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 78.8% | -2.4% |
| 2003 | 76.8% | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 74.9% | -2.5% |
| 2005 | 73.0% | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 71.0% | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 69.1% | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 67.2% | -2.8% |
| 2009 | 65.3% | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 63.3% | -3.0% |
| 2011 | 61.4% | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 59.5% | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 57.5% | -3.2% |
| 2014 | 55.6% | -3.4% |
| 2015 | 53.7% | -3.5% |
| 2016 | 51.8% | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 49.8% | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 47.9% | -3.9% |
| 2019 | 46.0% | -4.0% |
| 2020 | 44.0% | -4.2% |
| 2021 | 42.1% | -4.4% |
| 2022 | 40.2% | -4.6% |
| 2023 | 38.3% | -4.8% |
| 2024 | 36.3% | -5.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 73.9% | 65.3% | 82.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.6% | 46.0% | 63.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 40.2% | 36.3% | 44.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Mauritania
- 14 Burkina Faso 42.3% compare
- 15 Central African Republic 38.8% compare
- 16 Madagascar 36.5% compare
- 18 Haiti 31.5% compare
- 19 Nigeria 31.2% compare
- 20 Côte d'Ivoire 31.0% compare
More health data for Mauritania
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.8878 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.19 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 653 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 1,563 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 60-64, female, annual growth rate 3.84 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, per capita 0.0099 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, annual growth rate 2.8 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per capita 0.0086 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation, rural in Mauritania?
- People practicing open defecation, rural in Mauritania was 36.3% 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 Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 82.6% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, rural recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.3% in 2024.
- How does Mauritania rank for people practicing open defecation, rural?
- Mauritania ranks 17th out of 171 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation, rural rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Mauritania 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.