Open defecation still practised

Choropleth map of India by state: Open defecation still practised. Open defecation has dropped dramatically under SBM but persists at 10-30% in parts of Bihar and Jharkhand.

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Open defecation has dropped dramatically under SBM but persists at 10-30% in parts of Bihar and Jharkhand.
Policy implication
Toilet construction ≠ toilet use; behaviour change lags behind infrastructure in the poorest states.
NFHS-5 2019-21Healthopen defecationSBMsanitation
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Data vintage. This map uses NFHS-5 (2019-21). NFHS-6 (2023-24) state fact sheets were released in May 2026, but they are provisional and report fewer indicators, so the figures here have not been replaced.
Data note. NFHS-6 (2023-24) state fact sheets carry 101 indicators against 131 in NFHS-5 and do not repeat this measure, so NFHS-5 (2019-21) remains the latest state-level figure.

Source: NFHS-5 (2019-21). See the methodology for notes and limitations.

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