People practicing open defecation, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): People practicing open defecation, rural was 23.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 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 Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) is 23.2%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.5% on the previous year and down 28.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 42.4% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 23.2%, in 2024.
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 5th of 47 groups on this measure, 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 Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 42.4% | — |
| 2001 | 41.8% | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 41.1% | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 40.4% | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 39.8% | -1.6% |
| 2005 | 39.0% | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 38.3% | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 37.5% | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 36.8% | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 36.0% | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 35.2% | -2.2% |
| 2011 | 35.0% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 34.2% | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 33.4% | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 32.6% | -2.5% |
| 2015 | 31.7% | -2.6% |
| 2016 | 30.9% | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 29.8% | -3.5% |
| 2018 | 29.0% | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 28.1% | -3.0% |
| 2020 | 27.2% | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 26.3% | -3.3% |
| 2022 | 25.5% | -3.3% |
| 2023 | 24.0% | -5.8% |
| 2024 | 23.2% | -3.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 39.3% | 36.0% | 42.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.0% | 28.1% | 35.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.2% | 23.2% | 27.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Population ages 50-54, male, annual growth rate 3.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, male, annual growth rate 3.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, per capita 0.0125 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, male, per capita 0.0617 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, annual growth rate 3.3 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per capita 0.0147 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, female, annual growth rate 2.62 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, female, per capita 0.054 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- People practicing open defecation, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 23.2% 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 Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 42.4% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, rural recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.2% in 2024.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for people practicing open defecation, rural?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 5th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation, rural rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 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.