Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Belize

Belize: Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas was 0.4% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
0.4%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
87th
of 175 countries
All-time high
7.1%
in 2000
All-time low
0.4%
in 2018
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Belize, 2000–2024

024682000201220242000: 7.1 %2001: 6.8 %2002: 6.4 %2003: 6 %2004: 5.7 %2005: 5.3 %2006: 4.9 %2007: 4.5 %2008: 4.2 %2009: 3.8 %2010: 3.4 %2011: 3 %2012: 2.7 %2013: 2.3 %2014: 1.9 %2015: 1.6 %2016: 1.2 %2017: 0.811 %2018: 0.439 %2019: 0.439 %2020: 0.439 %2021: 0.439 %2022: 0.439 %2023: 0.439 %2024: 0.439 %

Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2024, open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Belize stood at 0.4%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is down 77.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Belize peaked at 7.1% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 2018.

That places Belize 87th out of 175 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 5.5% 3.8% 7.1% 10
2010s 1.8% 0.4% 3.4% 10
2020s 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 5

Countries ranked near Belize

  1. 84 Palestine 0.6% compare
  2. 85 Tajikistan 0.6% compare
  3. 86 Cuba 0.5% compare
  4. 88 Jamaica 0.4% compare
  5. 89 Croatia 0.4% compare
  6. 90 North Macedonia 0.3% compare

See the full ranking of 175 places →

More reference data data for Belize

All data for Belize →

Frequently asked questions

What is open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Belize?
Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Belize was 0.4% 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 open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas recorded in Belize?
The highest recorded value was 7.1% in 2000.
What is the lowest open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas recorded in Belize?
The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 2018.
How does Belize rank for open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas?
Belize ranks 87th out of 175 countries with data for 2024.
Is open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas rising or falling in Belize?
Over the last ten years it is down 77.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Belize 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 Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas
Unit
%
Source
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
175 places, 4,232 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

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.