Proportion of population practising open defecation (Sanitation) in Lesotho
Lesotho: Proportion of population practising open defecation was 14.76 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
14.76
Change on year
down 7.3%
World rank
27th
of 231 countries
All-time high
45.8
in 2000
All-time low
14.76
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024
Proportion of population practising open defecation in Lesotho, 2000–2024
Source: UNICEF.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 14.76 for proportion of population practising open defecation in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 7.3% on the previous year and down 44.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of population practising open defecation in Lesotho peaked at 45.8 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 14.76, in 2024.
That places Lesotho 27th out of 231 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.
Proportion of population practising open defecation in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 45.8 | — |
| 2001 | 44.35 | -3.2% |
| 2002 | 42.91 | -3.3% |
| 2003 | 41.48 | -3.3% |
| 2004 | 40.05 | -3.4% |
| 2005 | 38.64 | -3.5% |
| 2006 | 37.23 | -3.6% |
| 2007 | 35.88 | -3.6% |
| 2008 | 34.53 | -3.8% |
| 2009 | 33.19 | -3.9% |
| 2010 | 31.86 | -4.0% |
| 2011 | 30.55 | -4.1% |
| 2012 | 29.28 | -4.2% |
| 2013 | 28.02 | -4.3% |
| 2014 | 26.77 | -4.5% |
| 2015 | 25.53 | -4.6% |
| 2016 | 24.3 | -4.8% |
| 2017 | 23.07 | -5.0% |
| 2018 | 21.86 | -5.3% |
| 2019 | 20.65 | -5.5% |
| 2020 | 19.46 | -5.8% |
| 2021 | 18.27 | -6.1% |
| 2022 | 17.09 | -6.5% |
| 2023 | 15.92 | -6.8% |
| 2024 | 14.76 | -7.3% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 14.76 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.74, 2.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 14.76 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12.15, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 39.41 | 33.19 | 45.8 | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.19 | 20.65 | 31.86 | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.1 | 14.76 | 19.46 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 24 Djibouti 15.88 compare
- 25 Papua New Guinea 15.64 compare
- 26 Sierra Leone 15.35 compare
- 28 Somalia 14.44 compare
- 29 Zimbabwe 12.63 compare
- 30 Democratic Republic of Congo 11.66 compare
More population data for Lesotho
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.3315 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.1905 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.14 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.1905 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.2% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 190,191 people (2100)
- Population density 107.36 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.2% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6353 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, per capita 0.5533 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of population practising open defecation in Lesotho?
- Proportion of population practising open defecation in Lesotho was 14.76 in 2024, according to UNICEF.
- What is the highest proportion of population practising open defecation recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 45.8 in 2000.
- What is the lowest proportion of population practising open defecation recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.76 in 2024.
- How does Lesotho rank for proportion of population practising open defecation?
- Lesotho ranks 27th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is proportion of population practising open defecation rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 44.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho 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.
Download this data
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