People practicing open defecation, urban in Namibia

Namibia: People practicing open defecation, urban was 19.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
19.8%
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
5th
of 182 countries
All-time high
19.8%
in 2024
All-time low
15.9%
in 2000
Years of data
25
2000–2024

People practicing open defecation, urban in Namibia, 2000–2024

051015202000201220242000: 15.9 % of urban population2001: 16.1 % of urban population2002: 16.2 % of urban population2003: 16.4 % of urban population2004: 16.6 % of urban population2005: 16.7 % of urban population2006: 16.9 % of urban population2007: 17 % of urban population2008: 17.2 % of urban population2009: 17.4 % of urban population2010: 17.5 % of urban population2011: 17.7 % of urban population2012: 17.8 % of urban population2013: 18 % of urban population2014: 18.2 % of urban population2015: 18.3 % of urban population2016: 18.5 % of urban population2017: 18.6 % of urban population2018: 18.8 % of urban population2019: 19 % of urban population2020: 19.1 % of urban population2021: 19.3 % of urban population2022: 19.4 % of urban population2023: 19.6 % of urban population2024: 19.8 % of urban population

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 Namibia is 19.8%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 8.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, urban in Namibia peaked at 19.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 15.9%, in 2000.

That places Namibia 5th out of 182 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.

People practicing open defecation, urban in Namibia, year by year

Annual values for People practicing open defecation, urban (% of urban population) in Namibia, 2000 to 2024.
Year % of urban population Change
2000 15.9%
2001 16.1% +1.0%
2002 16.2% +1.0%
2003 16.4% +1.0%
2004 16.6% +1.0%
2005 16.7% +1.0%
2006 16.9% +1.0%
2007 17.0% +0.9%
2008 17.2% +0.9%
2009 17.4% +0.9%
2010 17.5% +0.9%
2011 17.7% +0.9%
2012 17.8% +0.9%
2013 18.0% +0.9%
2014 18.2% +0.9%
2015 18.3% +0.9%
2016 18.5% +0.9%
2017 18.6% +0.9%
2018 18.8% +0.9%
2019 19.0% +0.8%
2020 19.1% +0.8%
2021 19.3% +0.8%
2022 19.4% +0.8%
2023 19.6% +0.8%
2024 19.8% +0.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 16.6% 15.9% 17.4% 10
2010s 18.2% 17.5% 19.0% 10
2020s 19.4% 19.1% 19.8% 5

Countries ranked near Namibia

  1. 2 Sao Tome and Principe 30.4% compare
  2. 3 Benin 29.4% compare
  3. 4 Kiribati 20.0% compare
  4. 6 South Sudan 16.9% compare
  5. 7 Chad 15.4% compare
  6. 8 Liberia 13.9% compare

See the full ranking of 229 places →

More health data for Namibia

All data for Namibia →

Frequently asked questions

What is people practicing open defecation, urban in Namibia?
People practicing open defecation, urban in Namibia was 19.8% 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, urban recorded in Namibia?
The highest recorded value was 19.8% in 2024.
What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, urban recorded in Namibia?
The lowest recorded value was 15.9% in 2000.
How does Namibia rank for people practicing open defecation, urban?
Namibia ranks 5th out of 182 countries with data for 2024.
Is people practicing open defecation, urban rising or falling in Namibia?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Namibia 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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People practicing open defecation, urban in Namibia. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/people-practicing-open-defecation-urban-percent-of-urban-population/namibia/

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About this data

Indicator
People practicing open defecation, urban (% of urban population)
Unit
% of urban 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
229 places, 5,626 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.