Drinking water service usage in Congo
Congo: Drinking water service usage was 45.9% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Drinking water service usage in Congo, 2000–2021
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 drinking water service usage in Congo is 45.9%, measured in 2021. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 10.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drinking water service usage in Congo peaked at 45.9% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 27.9%, in 2000.
Congo ranks 127th of 163 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Drinking water service usage in Congo, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 27.9% | — |
| 2001 | 28.1% | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 28.3% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 28.4% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 30.0% | +5.5% |
| 2005 | 31.6% | +5.3% |
| 2006 | 33.2% | +5.1% |
| 2007 | 34.8% | +4.9% |
| 2008 | 36.4% | +4.7% |
| 2009 | 38.1% | +4.6% |
| 2010 | 39.8% | +4.4% |
| 2011 | 41.5% | +4.3% |
| 2012 | 42.5% | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 43.0% | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 43.5% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 44.1% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 44.6% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 45.1% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 45.3% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 45.5% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 45.7% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 45.9% | +0.4% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 45.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 42.9%, 1.1× the median. (31 countries reporting)
- Congo's 45.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 27.4%, 1.7× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 31.7% | 27.9% | 38.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 43.5% | 39.8% | 45.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 45.8% | 45.7% | 45.9% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Congo
More environment data for Congo
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -9.96 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -6.68 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.202 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.13 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.8453 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -0.4756 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is drinking water service usage in Congo?
- Drinking water service usage in Congo was 45.9% in 2021, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest drinking water service usage recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 45.9% in 2021.
- What is the lowest drinking water service usage recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.9% in 2000.
- How does Congo rank for drinking water service usage?
- Congo ranks 127th out of 163 countries with data for 2021.
- Is drinking water service usage rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Congo 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 Drinking water service usage. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Proportion of people using an improved drinking water source that is located on premises, available when needed and free from fecal and priority chemical contamination.