Share of people practicing open defecation in Nepal
Nepal: Share of people practicing open defecation was 0.5% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of people practicing open defecation in Nepal, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Nepal recorded 0.5% for share of people practicing open defecation in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 82.4% on the previous year and down 98.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of people practicing open defecation in Nepal peaked at 68.2% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 2024.
That places Nepal 93rd out of 232 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 54.8% | 41.6% | 68.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.1% | 13.7% | 38.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.7% | 0.5% | 11.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More population data for Nepal
- World population growth -0.6% (2100)
- Population density 222.05 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1.41 million people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.6% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.96 births per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.96 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 19,598 people (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.96 births per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Share of people who are religious 1.98 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age 1.91 children per women (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of people practicing open defecation in Nepal?
- Share of people practicing open defecation in Nepal was 0.5% 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 Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 68.2% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of people practicing open defecation recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 2024.
- How does Nepal rank for share of people practicing open defecation?
- Nepal ranks 93rd out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 98.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nepal 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
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.