Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Namibia
Namibia: Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas was 53.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Namibia, 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 Namibia is 53.5%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.0% on the previous year and down 17.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Namibia peaked at 80.0% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 53.5%, in 2024.
Namibia ranks 10th of 175 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 75.0% | 70.0% | 80.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 64.0% | 59.0% | 68.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 55.7% | 53.5% | 57.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More reference data data for Namibia
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.7156 °C (2026)
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.5417 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.0961 °C (2026)
- Consumer price index 202.75 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies -0.2035 °C (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.7944 °C (2025)
- Democracy 7 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating 2 (2025)
- Free country 2 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Namibia?
- Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Namibia was 53.5% 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 Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 80.0% in 2000.
- What is the lowest open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 53.5% in 2024.
- How does Namibia rank for open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas?
- Namibia ranks 10th out of 175 countries with data for 2024.
- Is open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Namibia 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.