Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Myanmar
Myanmar: Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas was 9.6% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Myanmar, 2000–2024
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 Myanmar stood at 9.6%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Myanmar peaked at 13.3% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 9.6%, in 2021.
That places Myanmar 48th out of 175 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Myanmar, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 13.3% | — |
| 2001 | 13.2% | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 13.0% | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 12.8% | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 12.6% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 12.4% | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 12.3% | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 12.1% | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 11.9% | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 11.7% | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 11.6% | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 11.4% | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 11.2% | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 11.0% | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 10.8% | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 10.7% | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 10.5% | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 10.3% | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 10.1% | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 10.0% | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 9.8% | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 9.6% | -1.8% |
| 2022 | 9.6% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 9.6% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 9.6% | +0.0% |
Myanmar compared with similar countries
- Myanmar's 9.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.0%, 88% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Myanmar's 9.6% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.2%, 3.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12.5% | 11.7% | 13.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.8% | 10.0% | 11.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.6% | 9.6% | 9.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Myanmar
More reference data data for Myanmar
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.28 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 4.58 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 11.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.53 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 11.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 11.01 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 19.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 25.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 73.24 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 13.8 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Myanmar?
- Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Myanmar was 9.6% 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 Myanmar?
- The highest recorded value was 13.3% in 2000.
- What is the lowest open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas recorded in Myanmar?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.6% in 2021.
- How does Myanmar rank for open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas?
- Myanmar ranks 48th out of 175 countries with data for 2024.
- Is open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas rising or falling in Myanmar?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Myanmar 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.