People practicing open defecation, rural in Panama

Panama: People practicing open defecation, rural was 9.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
9.8%
Change on year
down 3.5%
World rank
46th
of 171 countries
All-time high
18.3%
in 2000
All-time low
9.8%
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

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

051015202000201220242000: 18.3 % of rural population2001: 17.9 % of rural population2002: 17.6 % of rural population2003: 17.2 % of rural population2004: 16.9 % of rural population2005: 16.5 % of rural population2006: 16.2 % of rural population2007: 15.8 % of rural population2008: 15.4 % of rural population2009: 15.1 % of rural population2010: 14.7 % of rural population2011: 14.4 % of rural population2012: 14 % of rural population2013: 13.7 % of rural population2014: 13.3 % of rural population2015: 13 % of rural population2016: 12.6 % of rural population2017: 12.2 % of rural population2018: 11.9 % of rural population2019: 11.5 % of rural population2020: 11.2 % of rural population2021: 10.8 % of rural population2022: 10.5 % of rural population2023: 10.1 % of rural population2024: 9.8 % 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

Panama recorded 9.8% for people practicing open defecation, rural in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is down 3.5% on the previous year and down 26.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, rural in Panama peaked at 18.3% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 9.8%, in 2024.

That places Panama 46th out of 171 countries 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 Panama, year by year

Annual values for People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) in Panama, 2000 to 2024.
Year % of rural population Change
2000 18.3%
2001 17.9% -1.9%
2002 17.6% -2.0%
2003 17.2% -2.0%
2004 16.9% -2.1%
2005 16.5% -2.1%
2006 16.2% -2.2%
2007 15.8% -2.2%
2008 15.4% -2.2%
2009 15.1% -2.3%
2010 14.7% -2.4%
2011 14.4% -2.4%
2012 14.0% -2.5%
2013 13.7% -2.5%
2014 13.3% -2.6%
2015 13.0% -2.7%
2016 12.6% -2.7%
2017 12.2% -2.8%
2018 11.9% -2.9%
2019 11.5% -3.0%
2020 11.2% -3.1%
2021 10.8% -3.2%
2022 10.5% -3.3%
2023 10.1% -3.4%
2024 9.8% -3.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 16.7% 15.1% 18.3% 10
2010s 13.1% 11.5% 14.7% 10
2020s 10.5% 9.8% 11.2% 5

Countries ranked near Panama

  1. 43 Tanzania, United Republic of 10.6% compare
  2. 44 Cape Verde 10.1% compare
  3. 45 Colombia 9.9% compare
  4. 47 Cameroon 9.7% compare
  5. 48 Myanmar 9.6% compare
  6. 49 Kenya 8.1% compare

See the full ranking of 218 places →

More health data for Panama

All data for Panama →

Frequently asked questions

What is people practicing open defecation, rural in Panama?
People practicing open defecation, rural in Panama was 9.8% 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 Panama?
The highest recorded value was 18.3% in 2000.
What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, rural recorded in Panama?
The lowest recorded value was 9.8% in 2024.
How does Panama rank for people practicing open defecation, rural?
Panama ranks 46th out of 171 countries with data for 2024.
Is people practicing open defecation, rural rising or falling in Panama?
Over the last ten years it is down 26.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Panama 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 Panama. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/people-practicing-open-defecation-rural-percent-of-rural-population/panama/

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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.