People practicing open defecation, rural in Pre-demographic dividend

Pre-demographic dividend: People practicing open defecation, rural was 23.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
23.8%
Change on year
down 2.4%
Rank
4th
of 47 groups
All-time high
37.2%
in 2000
All-time low
23.8%
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

People practicing open defecation, rural in Pre-demographic dividend, 2000–2024

0102030402000201220242000: 37.2 % of rural population2001: 36.8 % of rural population2002: 36.4 % of rural population2003: 35.9 % of rural population2004: 35.5 % of rural population2005: 35 % of rural population2006: 34.5 % of rural population2007: 34 % of rural population2008: 33.4 % of rural population2009: 32.9 % of rural population2010: 32.3 % of rural population2011: 32.6 % of rural population2012: 32 % of rural population2013: 31.4 % of rural population2014: 30.9 % of rural population2015: 30.3 % of rural population2016: 29.7 % of rural population2017: 28.8 % of rural population2018: 28.2 % of rural population2019: 27.6 % of rural population2020: 27 % of rural population2021: 26.4 % of rural population2022: 25.8 % of rural population2023: 24.4 % of rural population2024: 23.8 % 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

In 2024, people practicing open defecation, rural in Pre-demographic dividend stood at 23.8%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.4% on the previous year and down 22.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, rural in Pre-demographic dividend peaked at 37.2% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 23.8%, in 2024.

That places Pre-demographic dividend 4th out of 47 groups 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 Pre-demographic dividend, year by year

Annual values for People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) in Pre-demographic dividend, 2000 to 2024.
Year % of rural population Change
2000 37.2%
2001 36.8% -1.0%
2002 36.4% -1.2%
2003 35.9% -1.2%
2004 35.5% -1.2%
2005 35.0% -1.5%
2006 34.5% -1.5%
2007 34.0% -1.5%
2008 33.4% -1.5%
2009 32.9% -1.7%
2010 32.3% -1.7%
2011 32.6% +0.8%
2012 32.0% -1.7%
2013 31.4% -1.7%
2014 30.9% -1.8%
2015 30.3% -1.9%
2016 29.7% -2.0%
2017 28.8% -2.9%
2018 28.2% -2.0%
2019 27.6% -2.1%
2020 27.0% -2.2%
2021 26.4% -2.3%
2022 25.8% -2.3%
2023 24.4% -5.3%
2024 23.8% -2.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 35.1% 32.9% 37.2% 10
2010s 30.4% 27.6% 32.6% 10
2020s 25.5% 23.8% 27.0% 5

Countries ranked near Pre-demographic dividend

  1. 1 Eritrea 88.7% compare
  2. 2 Niger 78.1% compare
  3. 3 Chad 77.6% compare
  4. 4 South Sudan 75.4% compare
  5. 5 Angola 65.5% compare
  6. 6 Benin 65.1% compare
  7. 7 Djibouti 64.1% compare

See the full ranking of 218 places →

More health data for Pre-demographic dividend

All data for Pre-demographic dividend →

Frequently asked questions

What is people practicing open defecation, rural in Pre-demographic dividend?
People practicing open defecation, rural in Pre-demographic dividend was 23.8% 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 Pre-demographic dividend?
The highest recorded value was 37.2% in 2000.
What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, rural recorded in Pre-demographic dividend?
The lowest recorded value was 23.8% in 2024.
How does Pre-demographic dividend rank for people practicing open defecation, rural?
Pre-demographic dividend ranks 4th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
Is people practicing open defecation, rural rising or falling in Pre-demographic dividend?
Over the last ten years it is down 22.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Pre-demographic dividend 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 Pre-demographic dividend. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/people-practicing-open-defecation-rural-percent-of-rural-population/pre-demographic-dividend/

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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.