People practicing open defecation, rural in Small states
Small states: People practicing open defecation, rural was 6.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation, rural in Small states, 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
The most recent figure for people practicing open defecation, rural in Small states is 6.5%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 25.4% on the previous year and down 46.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, rural in Small states peaked at 19.6% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 6.5%, in 2024.
That places Small states 26th out of 47 groups 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 Small states, year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 16.8% | — |
| 2001 | 16.5% | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 19.6% | +18.4% |
| 2003 | 19.2% | -2.1% |
| 2004 | 18.6% | -2.7% |
| 2005 | 16.7% | -10.2% |
| 2006 | 15.8% | -5.6% |
| 2007 | 15.3% | -3.0% |
| 2008 | 14.8% | -3.1% |
| 2009 | 14.3% | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 13.9% | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 13.5% | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 13.0% | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 12.6% | -3.3% |
| 2014 | 12.2% | -3.4% |
| 2015 | 11.8% | -3.3% |
| 2016 | 11.4% | -3.5% |
| 2017 | 11.0% | -3.6% |
| 2018 | 10.5% | -4.0% |
| 2019 | 10.1% | -3.9% |
| 2020 | 9.7% | -4.4% |
| 2021 | 9.3% | -4.1% |
| 2022 | 8.9% | -3.9% |
| 2023 | 8.7% | -1.9% |
| 2024 | 6.5% | -25.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16.8% | 14.3% | 19.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.0% | 10.1% | 13.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.6% | 6.5% | 9.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Small states
- 23 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 24.9% compare
- 24 Sierra Leone 24.8% compare
- 25 Sudan 24.1% compare
- 26 Mozambique 23.5% compare
- 27 Congo 23.0% compare
- 28 Ethiopia 20.4% compare
- 29 Lesotho 19.7% compare
More health data for Small states
- Population ages 75-79, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, annual growth rate 4.86 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per capita 0.0107 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, annual growth rate 4.86 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, female, annual growth rate 2.72 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, female, per capita 0.0121 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, male, per capita 0.0118 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per capita 0.0078 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation, rural in Small states?
- People practicing open defecation, rural in Small states was 6.5% 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 Small states?
- The highest recorded value was 19.6% in 2002.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, rural recorded in Small states?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.5% in 2024.
- How does Small states rank for people practicing open defecation, rural?
- Small states ranks 26th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation, rural rising or falling in Small states?
- Over the last ten years it is down 46.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Small states 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.
Download this data
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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.