Democratic Republic of Congo vs Ethiopia: People in rural areas not using an improved water source
People in rural areas not using an improved water source over time
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Ethiopia
How they compare
Democratic Republic of Congo currently reports 38.51 million people against 21.08 million people in Ethiopia, a difference of 17.43 million people.
That makes Democratic Republic of Congo's figure about 1.8 times Ethiopia's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Ethiopia ahead.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 1st and Ethiopia ranks 4th of 178 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Democratic Republic of Congo averaged higher in 1 and Ethiopia in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Democratic Republic of Congo | Ethiopia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 26.42 million people | 47.38 million people | 20.97 million people | Ethiopia |
| 2010s | 32.12 million people | 38.06 million people | 5.94 million people | Ethiopia |
| 2020s | 37.03 million people | 25.38 million people | 11.65 million people | Democratic Republic of Congo |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people in rural areas not using an improved water source, Democratic Republic of Congo or Ethiopia?
- Democratic Republic of Congo, at 38.51 million people against 21.08 million people in Ethiopia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people in rural areas not using an improved water source between Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia?
- 17.43 million people, with Democratic Republic of Congo ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia rank globally for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 1st and Ethiopia ranks 4th of 178 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as People in rural areas not using an improved water source. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of people not using improved drinking water sources. These people might use surface water sources or unprotected springs or wells, as no safe and reliable improved drinking water source is available to them.