Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Suriname

Suriname: Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas was 3.2% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
3.2%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
68th
of 175 countries
All-time high
25.4%
in 2000
All-time low
3.2%
in 2020
Years of data
25
2000–2024

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

5101520252000201220242000: 25.4 %2001: 24.3 %2002: 23.2 %2003: 22.1 %2004: 21 %2005: 19.9 %2006: 18.8 %2007: 17.7 %2008: 16.5 %2009: 15.4 %2010: 14.3 %2011: 13.2 %2012: 12.1 %2013: 11 %2014: 9.9 %2015: 8.8 %2016: 7.7 %2017: 6.6 %2018: 5.5 %2019: 4.4 %2020: 3.2 %2021: 3.2 %2022: 3.2 %2023: 3.2 %2024: 3.2 %

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 Suriname stood at 3.2%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

That represents a change of down 67.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Suriname peaked at 25.4% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 3.2%, in 2020.

That places Suriname 68th 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.

Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Suriname, year by year

Annual values for Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Suriname, 2000 to 2024.
Year % Change
2000 25.4% —
2001 24.3% -4.4%
2002 23.2% -4.6%
2003 22.1% -4.8%
2004 21.0% -5.0%
2005 19.9% -5.3%
2006 18.8% -5.6%
2007 17.7% -5.9%
2008 16.5% -6.3%
2009 15.4% -6.7%
2010 14.3% -7.2%
2011 13.2% -7.7%
2012 12.1% -8.4%
2013 11.0% -9.1%
2014 9.9% -10.1%
2015 8.8% -11.2%
2016 7.7% -12.6%
2017 6.6% -14.4%
2018 5.5% -16.9%
2019 4.4% -20.3%
2020 3.2% -25.4%
2021 3.2% +0.0%
2022 3.2% +0.0%
2023 3.2% +0.0%
2024 3.2% +0.0%

Suriname compared with similar countries

  • Suriname's 3.2% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.3%, 12.2× the median. (54 countries reporting)
  • Suriname's 3.2% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1.4%, 2.3× the median. (27 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 20.4% 15.4% 25.4% 10
2010s 9.3% 4.4% 14.3% 10
2020s 3.2% 3.2% 3.2% 5

Countries ranked near Suriname

  1. 65 Equatorial Guinea 3.6% compare
  2. 66 Philippines 3.2% compare
  3. 67 Zambia 3.2% compare
  4. 69 Gabon 2.6% compare
  5. 70 El Salvador 2.4% compare
  6. 71 Burundi 2.3% compare

See the full ranking of 175 places →

More reference data data for Suriname

All data for Suriname →

Frequently asked questions

What is open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Suriname?
Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Suriname was 3.2% 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 Suriname?
The highest recorded value was 25.4% in 2000.
What is the lowest open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas recorded in Suriname?
The lowest recorded value was 3.2% in 2020.
How does Suriname rank for open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas?
Suriname ranks 68th out of 175 countries with data for 2024.
Is open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas rising or falling in Suriname?
Over the last ten years it is down 67.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Suriname 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.

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Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Suriname. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 29 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/open-defecation-in-rural-areas-vs-urban-areas/suriname/

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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.