Share of people practicing open defecation in Myanmar
Myanmar: Share of people practicing open defecation was 6.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Share of people practicing open defecation in Myanmar, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of people practicing open defecation in Myanmar stood at 6.7%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and down 14.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of people practicing open defecation in Myanmar peaked at 10.1% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 6.7%, in 2024.
That places Myanmar 42nd out of 232 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.
Share of people practicing open defecation in Myanmar, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 10.1% | — |
| 2001 | 10.0% | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 9.8% | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 9.6% | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 9.5% | -1.6% |
| 2005 | 9.3% | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 9.2% | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 9.0% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 8.9% | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 8.7% | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 8.5% | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 8.4% | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 8.2% | -1.8% |
| 2013 | 8.1% | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 7.9% | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 7.8% | -1.9% |
| 2016 | 7.6% | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 7.5% | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 7.3% | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 7.2% | -2.1% |
| 2020 | 7.0% | -2.2% |
| 2021 | 6.8% | -2.3% |
| 2022 | 6.8% | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 6.8% | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 6.7% | -0.5% |
Myanmar compared with similar countries
- Myanmar's 6.7% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.7%, 1.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Myanmar's 6.7% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.2%, 42.3× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9.4% | 8.7% | 10.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.9% | 7.2% | 8.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.8% | 6.7% | 7.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Myanmar
- 39 Wallis and Futuna 6.9% compare
- 40 Marshall Islands 6.8% compare
- 41 Tanzania 6.8% compare
- 43 India 6.7% compare
- 44 Saint Lucia 6.2% compare
- 45 Senegal 6.1% compare
More population data for Myanmar
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.4448 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.5005 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.8844 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.5005 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.5% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 2.45 million people (2100)
- Population density 76.09 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.5% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.737 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.5289 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of people practicing open defecation in Myanmar?
- Share of people practicing open defecation in Myanmar was 6.7% in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of people practicing open defecation recorded in Myanmar?
- The highest recorded value was 10.1% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of people practicing open defecation recorded in Myanmar?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.7% in 2024.
- How does Myanmar rank for share of people practicing open defecation?
- Myanmar ranks 42nd out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Myanmar?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Myanmar data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of people practicing open defecation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Share of people who practice open defecation. This includes defecating in fields, forests, bushes, bodies of water or other open spaces, not using any sanitation facilities.