Share of people practicing open defecation in Samoa
Samoa: Share of people practicing open defecation was 0.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of people practicing open defecation in Samoa, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Samoa recorded 0.2% for share of people practicing open defecation in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.6% on the previous year and up 37.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of people practicing open defecation in Samoa peaked at 0.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2009.
Samoa ranks 107th of 232 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Share of people practicing open defecation in Samoa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.1% | — |
| 2001 | 0.1% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 0.1% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 0.1% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 0.1% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 0.1% | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 0.1% | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 0.1% | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 0.1% | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 0.1% | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 0.1% | +5.0% |
| 2011 | 0.1% | +5.8% |
| 2012 | 0.1% | +5.3% |
| 2013 | 0.1% | +4.9% |
| 2014 | 0.1% | +4.5% |
| 2015 | 0.1% | +4.2% |
| 2016 | 0.1% | +3.9% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | +3.6% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 0.1% | +3.2% |
| 2020 | 0.1% | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 0.1% | +2.9% |
| 2022 | 0.1% | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 0.2% | +2.7% |
| 2024 | 0.2% | +2.6% |
Samoa compared with similar countries
- Samoa's 0.2% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.3%, 59% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Samoa's 0.2% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.2%, 97% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Samoa
- 104 Trinidad and Tobago 0.2% compare
- 105 Cuba 0.2% compare
- 106 Northern Mariana Islands 0.2% compare
- 108 Antigua and Barbuda 0.1% compare
- 109 Turkey 0.1% compare
- 110 Moldova 0.1% compare
More population data for Samoa
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.1344 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.3243 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.5509 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.3243 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.3% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 25,608 people (2100)
- Population density 137.97 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.3% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3812 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.35 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of people practicing open defecation in Samoa?
- Share of people practicing open defecation in Samoa was 0.2% 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 Samoa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of people practicing open defecation recorded in Samoa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2009.
- How does Samoa rank for share of people practicing open defecation?
- Samoa ranks 107th out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of people practicing open defecation rising or falling in Samoa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Samoa 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.