People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) in OECD members
OECD members: People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) 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 47 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 (% of rural population) 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 Laos 14.3% compare
- 37 Guinea-Bissau 14.2% compare
- 38 Mongolia 13.7% compare
- 39 Pakistan 13.0% compare
- 40 East Timor 11.7% compare
More health data for OECD members
- Population ages 05-09, male, per capita 0.0282 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.0334 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate -0.2511 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0339 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, annual growth rate 0.2277 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, female, annual growth rate -0.5618 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (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 47 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.