People practicing open defecation, urban (% of urban population) in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: People practicing open defecation, urban (% of urban population) was 4.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
People practicing open defecation, urban in Sub-Saharan Africa, 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
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 4.7% for people practicing open defecation, urban in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 3.0% on the previous year and down 32.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, urban in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 9.8% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 4.7%, in 2024.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 2nd out of 47 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People practicing open defecation, urban (% of urban population) in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % of urban population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 9.8% | — |
| 2001 | 9.7% | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 9.5% | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 9.3% | -2.1% |
| 2004 | 9.1% | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 8.9% | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 8.6% | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 8.4% | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 8.2% | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 8.0% | -2.6% |
| 2010 | 7.8% | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 7.7% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 7.5% | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 7.3% | -3.0% |
| 2014 | 7.0% | -3.2% |
| 2015 | 6.8% | -3.3% |
| 2016 | 6.6% | -3.4% |
| 2017 | 6.3% | -4.6% |
| 2018 | 6.0% | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 5.8% | -3.5% |
| 2020 | 5.6% | -3.7% |
| 2021 | 5.4% | -3.9% |
| 2022 | 5.2% | -3.6% |
| 2023 | 4.9% | -6.0% |
| 2024 | 4.7% | -3.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.9% | 8.0% | 9.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.9% | 5.8% | 7.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.2% | 4.7% | 5.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0282 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, annual growth rate 2.8 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate 1.61 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per capita 0.0287 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 1.63 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, male, per capita 0.0016 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation, urban in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- People practicing open defecation, urban in Sub-Saharan Africa was 4.7% 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 Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 9.8% in 2000.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, urban recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.7% in 2024.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for people practicing open defecation, urban?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 2nd out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation, urban rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa 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.