People practicing open defecation, rural in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income): People practicing open defecation, rural was 8.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation, rural in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) stood at 8.3%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 9.7% on the previous year and down 50.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, rural in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) peaked at 26.8% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 8.3%, in 2024.
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 22nd of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People practicing open defecation, rural in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 26.8% | — |
| 2001 | 26.7% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 26.6% | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 26.4% | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 25.5% | -3.3% |
| 2005 | 24.6% | -3.5% |
| 2006 | 23.7% | -3.7% |
| 2007 | 22.8% | -3.8% |
| 2008 | 21.9% | -3.8% |
| 2009 | 21.0% | -4.0% |
| 2010 | 20.2% | -4.2% |
| 2011 | 19.3% | -4.4% |
| 2012 | 18.4% | -4.4% |
| 2013 | 17.6% | -4.6% |
| 2014 | 16.7% | -5.2% |
| 2015 | 15.7% | -5.8% |
| 2016 | 14.7% | -6.3% |
| 2017 | 14.9% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 13.9% | -6.9% |
| 2019 | 12.9% | -7.2% |
| 2020 | 11.9% | -7.4% |
| 2021 | 11.0% | -7.8% |
| 2022 | 10.1% | -8.4% |
| 2023 | 9.2% | -8.5% |
| 2024 | 8.3% | -9.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 24.6% | 21.0% | 26.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.4% | 12.9% | 20.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.1% | 8.3% | 11.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
More health data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 3.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.0305 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate 3.21 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0351 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, annual growth rate 1.51 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per capita 0.0341 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 30-34, female, annual growth rate 0.4849 % change on previous year (2025)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation, rural in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- People practicing open defecation, rural in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) was 8.3% 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 26.8% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, rural recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.3% in 2024.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) rank for people practicing open defecation, rural?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 22nd out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation, rural rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 50.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 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.