People practicing open defecation, rural in Namibia

Namibia: People practicing open defecation, rural was 53.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
53.5%
Change on year
down 2.0%
World rank
10th
of 171 countries
All-time high
80.0%
in 2000
All-time low
53.5%
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

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

0204060802000201220242000: 80 % of rural population2001: 78.8 % of rural population2002: 77.7 % of rural population2003: 76.6 % of rural population2004: 75.5 % of rural population2005: 74.4 % of rural population2006: 73.3 % of rural population2007: 72.2 % of rural population2008: 71.1 % of rural population2009: 70 % of rural population2010: 68.9 % of rural population2011: 67.8 % of rural population2012: 66.7 % of rural population2013: 65.6 % of rural population2014: 64.5 % of rural population2015: 63.4 % of rural population2016: 62.3 % of rural population2017: 61.2 % of rural population2018: 60.1 % of rural population2019: 59 % of rural population2020: 57.9 % of rural population2021: 56.8 % of rural population2022: 55.7 % of rural population2023: 54.6 % of rural population2024: 53.5 % 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 Namibia is 53.5%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

That represents a change of down 2.0% on the previous year and down 17.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, rural in Namibia peaked at 80.0% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 53.5%, in 2024.

That places Namibia 10th out of 171 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Namibia, year by year

Annual values for People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) in Namibia, 2000 to 2024.
Year % of rural population Change
2000 80.0%
2001 78.8% -1.4%
2002 77.7% -1.4%
2003 76.6% -1.4%
2004 75.5% -1.4%
2005 74.4% -1.5%
2006 73.3% -1.5%
2007 72.2% -1.5%
2008 71.1% -1.5%
2009 70.0% -1.5%
2010 68.9% -1.6%
2011 67.8% -1.6%
2012 66.7% -1.6%
2013 65.6% -1.7%
2014 64.5% -1.7%
2015 63.4% -1.7%
2016 62.3% -1.7%
2017 61.2% -1.8%
2018 60.1% -1.8%
2019 59.0% -1.8%
2020 57.9% -1.9%
2021 56.8% -1.9%
2022 55.7% -1.9%
2023 54.6% -2.0%
2024 53.5% -2.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 75.0% 70.0% 80.0% 10
2010s 64.0% 59.0% 68.9% 10
2020s 55.7% 53.5% 57.9% 5

Countries ranked near Namibia

  1. 7 Djibouti 64.1% compare
  2. 8 Solomon Islands 58.9% compare
  3. 9 Liberia 57.5% compare
  4. 11 Togo 50.9% compare
  5. 12 Kiribati 49.7% compare
  6. 13 Sao Tome and Principe 43.2% compare

See the full ranking of 218 places →

More health data for Namibia

All data for Namibia →

Frequently asked questions

What is people practicing open defecation, rural in Namibia?
People practicing open defecation, rural in Namibia was 53.5% 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 Namibia?
The highest recorded value was 80.0% in 2000.
What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, rural recorded in Namibia?
The lowest recorded value was 53.5% in 2024.
How does Namibia rank for people practicing open defecation, rural?
Namibia ranks 10th out of 171 countries with data for 2024.
Is people practicing open defecation, rural rising or falling in Namibia?
Over the last ten years it is down 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Namibia 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 Namibia. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/people-practicing-open-defecation-rural-percent-of-rural-population/namibia/

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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.