People practicing open defecation, rural in Middle income
Middle income: People practicing open defecation, rural was 7.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation, rural in Middle 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
The most recent figure for people practicing open defecation, rural in Middle income is 7.4%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 16.4% on the previous year and down 65.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, rural in Middle income peaked at 38.1% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 7.4%, in 2024.
That places Middle income 24th out of 47 groups with data for 2024, putting it 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 income, year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 38.1% | — |
| 2001 | 37.2% | -2.4% |
| 2002 | 36.2% | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 35.2% | -2.8% |
| 2004 | 34.1% | -3.2% |
| 2005 | 33.0% | -3.4% |
| 2006 | 31.8% | -3.6% |
| 2007 | 30.6% | -3.6% |
| 2008 | 29.4% | -4.1% |
| 2009 | 28.2% | -4.2% |
| 2010 | 26.9% | -4.6% |
| 2011 | 25.7% | -4.2% |
| 2012 | 24.4% | -5.0% |
| 2013 | 23.1% | -5.3% |
| 2014 | 21.8% | -5.8% |
| 2015 | 20.5% | -6.0% |
| 2016 | 19.1% | -6.7% |
| 2017 | 17.9% | -6.4% |
| 2018 | 16.5% | -8.0% |
| 2019 | 15.0% | -8.8% |
| 2020 | 13.5% | -10.1% |
| 2021 | 12.0% | -10.9% |
| 2022 | 10.5% | -12.5% |
| 2023 | 8.9% | -15.7% |
| 2024 | 7.4% | -16.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 33.4% | 28.2% | 38.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.1% | 15.0% | 26.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.5% | 7.4% | 13.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Middle income
- 21 Ghana 30.8% compare
- 22 Somalia 26.4% compare
- 23 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 24.9% compare
- 24 Sierra Leone 24.8% compare
- 25 Sudan 24.1% compare
- 26 Mozambique 23.5% compare
- 27 Congo 23.0% compare
More health data for Middle income
- Population ages 75-79, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, male, annual growth rate 4.62 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, annual growth rate 5.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, male, per capita 0.012 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, annual growth rate 7.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per capita 0.007 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, male, per capita 0.0257 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation, rural in Middle income?
- People practicing open defecation, rural in Middle income was 7.4% 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 income?
- The highest recorded value was 38.1% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, rural recorded in Middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.4% in 2024.
- How does Middle income rank for people practicing open defecation, rural?
- Middle income ranks 24th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation, rural rising or falling in Middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is down 65.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Middle 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.