Drinking water services in Congo
Congo: Drinking water services was 359,885 people in 2021. ▲ Rising
Drinking water services 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 people.
Analysis
In 2021, drinking water services in Congo stood at 359,885 people. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
The figure is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 9.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drinking water services in Congo peaked at 359,885 people in 2021 and was at its lowest, 262,142 people, in 2000.
Congo ranks 48th of 231 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Drinking water services in Congo, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 262,142 people | — |
| 2001 | 269,185 people | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 272,510 people | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 277,049 people | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 282,494 people | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 288,556 people | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 295,134 people | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 301,569 people | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 306,965 people | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 314,628 people | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 322,887 people | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 328,368 people | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 332,364 people | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 335,116 people | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 337,782 people | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 340,409 people | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 343,012 people | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 345,599 people | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 349,313 people | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 352,885 people | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 356,393 people | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 359,885 people | +1.0% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 359,885 people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 261,824 people, 1.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Congo's 359,885 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 511,332 people, 70% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 287,023 people | 262,142 people | 314,628 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 338,774 people | 322,887 people | 352,885 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 358,139 people | 356,393 people | 359,885 people | 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 services in Congo?
- Drinking water services in Congo was 359,885 people 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 services recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 359,885 people in 2021.
- What is the lowest drinking water services recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 262,142 people in 2000.
- How does Congo rank for drinking water services?
- Congo ranks 48th out of 231 countries with data for 2021.
- Is drinking water services rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.6%. 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 services. 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
Number of people using drinking water directly collected from surface waters.