Proportion of population practising open defecation in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe: Proportion of population practising open defecation was 12.63 in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
12.63
Change on year
down 6.7%
World rank
29th
of 231 countries
All-time high
33.08
in 2000
All-time low
12.63
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

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

01020302000201220242000: 33.12001: 32.92002: 31.82003: 312004: 30.22005: 29.32006: 28.52007: 27.72008: 26.82009: 262010: 25.22011: 24.32012: 23.52013: 22.62014: 21.72015: 20.92016: 202017: 19.12018: 18.22019: 17.22020: 16.32021: 15.42022: 14.42023: 13.52024: 12.6

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

In 2024, proportion of population practising open defecation in Zimbabwe stood at 12.63. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is down 6.7% on the previous year and down 41.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of population practising open defecation in Zimbabwe peaked at 33.08 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 12.63, in 2024.

That places Zimbabwe 29th 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 29.73 26.01 33.08 10
2010s 21.26 17.24 25.17 10
2020s 14.46 12.63 16.31 5

Countries ranked near Zimbabwe

  1. 26 Sierra Leone 15.35 compare
  2. 27 Lesotho 14.76 compare
  3. 28 Somalia 14.44 compare
  4. 30 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 11.66 compare
  5. 31 Afghanistan 11.17 compare
  6. 32 Micronesia (Federated States of) 9.5 compare

See the full ranking of 292 places →

More population data for Zimbabwe

All data for Zimbabwe →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of population practising open defecation in Zimbabwe?
Proportion of population practising open defecation in Zimbabwe was 12.63 in 2024, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest proportion of population practising open defecation recorded in Zimbabwe?
The highest recorded value was 33.08 in 2000.
What is the lowest proportion of population practising open defecation recorded in Zimbabwe?
The lowest recorded value was 12.63 in 2024.
How does Zimbabwe rank for proportion of population practising open defecation?
Zimbabwe ranks 29th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
Is proportion of population practising open defecation rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
Over the last ten years it is down 41.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-population-practising-open-defecation-sanitation/zimbabwe/

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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