People practicing open defecation, urban (% of urban population) in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: People practicing open defecation, urban (% of urban population) was 0.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation, urban in Costa Rica, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of urban population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for people practicing open defecation, urban in Costa Rica is 0.1%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 26.4% on the previous year and down 78.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, urban in Costa Rica peaked at 0.5% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2024.
That places Costa Rica 86th out of 182 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, urban (% of urban population) in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % of urban population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.5% | — |
| 2001 | 0.5% | -3.7% |
| 2002 | 0.5% | -3.9% |
| 2003 | 0.4% | -4.0% |
| 2004 | 0.4% | -4.2% |
| 2005 | 0.4% | -4.4% |
| 2006 | 0.4% | -4.6% |
| 2007 | 0.4% | -4.8% |
| 2008 | 0.3% | -5.1% |
| 2009 | 0.3% | -5.3% |
| 2010 | 0.3% | -5.6% |
| 2011 | 0.3% | -6.0% |
| 2012 | 0.3% | -6.3% |
| 2013 | 0.3% | -6.8% |
| 2014 | 0.2% | -7.3% |
| 2015 | 0.2% | -7.8% |
| 2016 | 0.2% | -8.5% |
| 2017 | 0.2% | -9.3% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | -10.2% |
| 2019 | 0.1% | -11.4% |
| 2020 | 0.1% | -12.8% |
| 2021 | 0.1% | -14.7% |
| 2022 | 0.1% | -17.3% |
| 2023 | 0.1% | -20.9% |
| 2024 | 0.1% | -26.4% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 0.1% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 0.1%, 35% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More health data for Costa Rica
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.78 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4617 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 35 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -3.42 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0248 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -3.37 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0259 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation, urban in Costa Rica?
- People practicing open defecation, urban in Costa Rica was 0.1% 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, urban recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 0.5% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, urban recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2024.
- How does Costa Rica rank for people practicing open defecation, urban?
- Costa Rica ranks 86th out of 182 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation, urban rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 78.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica 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, urban (% of urban 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.