Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Guatemala
Guatemala: Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas was 1.4% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Guatemala, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Guatemala is 1.4%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 36.6% on the previous year and down 85.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Guatemala peaked at 20.8% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 2024.
Guatemala ranks 77th of 175 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Guatemala, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 20.8% | — |
| 2001 | 20.0% | -3.9% |
| 2002 | 19.2% | -4.0% |
| 2003 | 18.4% | -4.2% |
| 2004 | 17.6% | -4.4% |
| 2005 | 16.8% | -4.6% |
| 2006 | 16.0% | -4.8% |
| 2007 | 15.2% | -5.1% |
| 2008 | 14.3% | -5.3% |
| 2009 | 13.5% | -5.6% |
| 2010 | 12.7% | -6.0% |
| 2011 | 11.9% | -6.4% |
| 2012 | 11.1% | -6.8% |
| 2013 | 10.3% | -7.3% |
| 2014 | 9.5% | -7.9% |
| 2015 | 8.7% | -8.5% |
| 2016 | 7.9% | -9.3% |
| 2017 | 7.1% | -10.3% |
| 2018 | 6.3% | -11.5% |
| 2019 | 5.4% | -12.9% |
| 2020 | 4.6% | -14.9% |
| 2021 | 3.8% | -17.4% |
| 2022 | 3.0% | -21.1% |
| 2023 | 2.2% | -26.8% |
| 2024 | 1.4% | -36.6% |
Guatemala compared with similar countries
- Guatemala's 1.4% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.3%, 5.2× the median. (54 countries reporting)
- Guatemala's 1.4% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1.4%, 1.0× the median. (27 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Guatemala changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | -36.6% | 2.2% | 1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 17.2% | 13.5% | 20.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.1% | 5.4% | 12.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.0% | 1.4% | 4.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
More reference data data for Guatemala
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9286 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.39 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 3.72 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1246 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 3.72 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.11 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.9 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 7.68 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 18.61 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.6786 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Guatemala?
- Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Guatemala was 1.4% 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 Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 20.8% in 2000.
- What is the lowest open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 2024.
- How does Guatemala rank for open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas?
- Guatemala ranks 77th out of 175 countries with data for 2024.
- Is open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is down 85.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Guatemala 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
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.