People practicing open defecation, urban in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: People practicing open defecation, urban was 2.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation, urban in Ethiopia, 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
In 2024, people practicing open defecation, urban in Ethiopia stood at 2.7%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 22.2% on the previous year and down 74.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, urban in Ethiopia peaked at 20.9% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 2.7%, in 2024.
That places Ethiopia 28th out of 182 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People practicing open defecation, urban in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % of urban population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 20.9% | — |
| 2001 | 20.1% | -3.6% |
| 2002 | 19.3% | -3.8% |
| 2003 | 18.6% | -3.9% |
| 2004 | 17.8% | -4.1% |
| 2005 | 17.1% | -4.3% |
| 2006 | 16.3% | -4.4% |
| 2007 | 15.5% | -4.6% |
| 2008 | 14.8% | -4.9% |
| 2009 | 14.0% | -5.1% |
| 2010 | 13.3% | -5.4% |
| 2011 | 12.5% | -5.7% |
| 2012 | 11.8% | -6.1% |
| 2013 | 11.0% | -6.4% |
| 2014 | 10.2% | -6.9% |
| 2015 | 9.5% | -7.4% |
| 2016 | 8.7% | -8.0% |
| 2017 | 8.0% | -8.7% |
| 2018 | 7.2% | -9.5% |
| 2019 | 6.5% | -10.5% |
| 2020 | 5.7% | -11.7% |
| 2021 | 4.9% | -13.3% |
| 2022 | 4.2% | -15.4% |
| 2023 | 3.4% | -18.1% |
| 2024 | 2.7% | -22.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 17.4% | 14.0% | 20.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.9% | 6.5% | 13.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.2% | 2.7% | 5.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
- 25 Sierra Leone 3.7% compare
- 26 Sudan 3.0% compare
- 27 Djibouti 2.7% compare
- 29 Equatorial Guinea 2.5% compare
- 30 Nepal 2.4% compare
- 31 Saint Lucia 2.1% compare
More health data for Ethiopia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.67 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.9494 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 744.3 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 19,997 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 50-54, male, annual growth rate 2.96 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per capita 0.0143 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, annual growth rate 3.17 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, per capita 0.0132 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation, urban in Ethiopia?
- People practicing open defecation, urban in Ethiopia was 2.7% 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 Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 20.9% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, urban recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.7% in 2024.
- How does Ethiopia rank for people practicing open defecation, urban?
- Ethiopia ranks 28th out of 182 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation, urban rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 74.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ethiopia 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.