People practicing open defecation, rural in OECD members
OECD members: People practicing open defecation, rural was 0.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation, rural in OECD members, 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 OECD members stood at 0.5%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.3% on the previous year and down 73.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, rural in OECD members peaked at 3.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 2024.
OECD members ranks 37th of 45 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People practicing open defecation, rural in OECD members, year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 3.6% | — |
| 2001 | 3.5% | -3.5% |
| 2002 | 3.3% | -3.9% |
| 2003 | 3.2% | -4.1% |
| 2004 | 3.1% | -4.1% |
| 2005 | 3.0% | -3.9% |
| 2006 | 2.8% | -3.9% |
| 2007 | 2.7% | -4.1% |
| 2008 | 2.6% | -4.5% |
| 2009 | 2.5% | -4.7% |
| 2010 | 2.4% | -5.0% |
| 2011 | 2.2% | -5.5% |
| 2012 | 2.1% | -5.9% |
| 2013 | 2.0% | -6.1% |
| 2014 | 1.8% | -6.9% |
| 2015 | 1.7% | -7.9% |
| 2016 | 1.5% | -9.1% |
| 2017 | 1.4% | -10.2% |
| 2018 | 1.2% | -11.1% |
| 2019 | 1.1% | -12.7% |
| 2020 | 0.9% | -14.6% |
| 2021 | 0.7% | -20.3% |
| 2022 | 0.6% | -21.4% |
| 2023 | 0.5% | -7.5% |
| 2024 | 0.5% | -6.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.0% | 2.5% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.7% | 1.1% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
- 34 Botswana 16.7% compare
- 35 Afghanistan 15.4% compare
- 36 Lao People's Democratic Republic 14.3% compare
- 37 Guinea-Bissau 14.2% compare
- 38 Mongolia 13.7% compare
- 39 Pakistan 13.0% compare
- 40 Timor-Leste 11.7% compare
More health data for OECD members
- Population ages 70-74, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, female, annual growth rate 1.95 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per capita 0.0174 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, annual growth rate 4.71 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per capita 0.0211 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, annual growth rate 4.66 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, male, per capita 0.0216 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per capita 0.0262 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation, rural in OECD members?
- People practicing open defecation, rural in OECD members was 0.5% 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 OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 3.6% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, rural recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 2024.
- How does OECD members rank for people practicing open defecation, rural?
- OECD members ranks 37th out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation, rural rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is down 73.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this OECD members 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.