Proportion of population practising open defecation in Malawi

Malawi: Proportion of population practising open defecation was 1.94 in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
1.94
Change on year
down 20.8%
World rank
69th
of 231 countries
All-time high
14.6
in 2000
All-time low
1.94
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Proportion of population practising open defecation in Malawi, 2000–2024

0510152000201220242000: 14.62001: 14.12002: 13.52003: 132004: 12.52005: 11.92006: 11.42007: 10.92008: 10.32009: 9.82010: 9.32011: 8.72012: 8.22013: 7.72014: 7.12015: 6.62016: 6.12017: 5.62018: 52019: 4.52020: 42021: 3.52022: 32023: 2.52024: 1.9

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

Malawi recorded 1.94 for proportion of population practising open defecation in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is down 20.8% on the previous year and down 72.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of population practising open defecation in Malawi peaked at 14.6 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.94, in 2024.

Malawi ranks 69th of 231 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 12.19 9.8 14.6 10
2010s 6.89 4.52 9.27 10
2020s 2.97 1.94 4 5

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 66 Colombia 2.09 compare
  2. 67 Zambia 2.05 compare
  3. 68 Burundi 1.97 compare
  4. 70 Peru 1.92 compare
  5. 71 Tuvalu 1.83 compare
  6. 72 Comoros 1.81 compare

See the full ranking of 292 places →

More population data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of population practising open defecation in Malawi?
Proportion of population practising open defecation in Malawi was 1.94 in 2024, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest proportion of population practising open defecation recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 14.6 in 2000.
What is the lowest proportion of population practising open defecation recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 1.94 in 2024.
How does Malawi rank for proportion of population practising open defecation?
Malawi ranks 69th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
Is proportion of population practising open defecation rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is down 72.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malawi 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 Malawi. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 22 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-population-practising-open-defecation-sanitation/malawi/

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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