Proportion of population practising open defecation in Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)

Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA): Proportion of population practising open defecation was 9.24 in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
9.24
Change on year
down 7.7%
Rank
27th
of 61 groups
All-time high
27.82
in 2000
All-time low
9.24
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Proportion of population practising open defecation in Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), 2000–2024

10152025302000201220242000: 27.82001: 27.22002: 26.62003: 25.92004: 25.32005: 24.52006: 23.72007: 232008: 222009: 21.22010: 20.42011: 19.62012: 18.72013: 17.92014: 17.12015: 16.42016: 15.62017: 14.62018: 13.82019: 132020: 12.32021: 11.52022: 10.82023: 102024: 9.2

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) recorded 9.24 for proportion of population practising open defecation in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.7% on the previous year and down 46.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of population practising open defecation in Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) peaked at 27.82 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 9.24, in 2024.

Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) ranks 27th of 61 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Proportion of population practising open defecation in Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), year by year

Annual values for Proportion of population practising open defecation (Sanitation) in Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), 2000 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2000 27.82
2001 27.21 -2.2%
2002 26.57 -2.4%
2003 25.92 -2.4%
2004 25.27 -2.5%
2005 24.48 -3.1%
2006 23.69 -3.2%
2007 22.95 -3.1%
2008 22 -4.1%
2009 21.19 -3.7%
2010 20.37 -3.9%
2011 19.55 -4.0%
2012 18.75 -4.1%
2013 17.94 -4.3%
2014 17.14 -4.4%
2015 16.36 -4.6%
2016 15.59 -4.7%
2017 14.55 -6.6%
2018 13.79 -5.3%
2019 13.03 -5.5%
2020 12.28 -5.7%
2021 11.52 -6.2%
2022 10.77 -6.6%
2023 10.01 -7.1%
2024 9.24 -7.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 24.71 21.19 27.82 10
2010s 16.71 13.03 20.37 10
2020s 10.77 9.24 12.28 5

Countries ranked near Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)

  1. 24 Djibouti 15.88 compare
  2. 25 Papua New Guinea 15.64 compare
  3. 26 Sierra Leone 15.35 compare
  4. 27 Lesotho 14.76 compare
  5. 28 Somalia 14.44 compare
  6. 29 Zimbabwe 12.63 compare
  7. 30 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 11.66 compare

See the full ranking of 292 places →

More population data for Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)

All data for Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of population practising open defecation in Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)?
Proportion of population practising open defecation in Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) was 9.24 in 2024, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest proportion of population practising open defecation recorded in Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)?
The highest recorded value was 27.82 in 2000.
What is the lowest proportion of population practising open defecation recorded in Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)?
The lowest recorded value was 9.24 in 2024.
How does Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) rank for proportion of population practising open defecation?
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) ranks 27th out of 61 groups with data for 2024.
Is proportion of population practising open defecation rising or falling in Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)?
Over the last ten years it is down 46.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) data come from?
The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Proportion of population practising open defecation (Sanitation). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of population practising open defecation in Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-population-practising-open-defecation-sanitation/common-market-for-eastern-and-southern-africa-comesa/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of population practising open defecation (Sanitation)
Source
UNICEF
Licence
UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
292 places, 6,980 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed