Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Congo

Congo: Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services was 44.2% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
44.2%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
169th
of 178 countries
All-time high
44.2%
in 2017
All-time low
21.0%
in 2000
Years of data
22
2000–2021

Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Congo, 2000–2021

0102030402000201020212000: 21 %2001: 21 %2002: 21.3 %2003: 21.6 %2004: 23 %2005: 24.5 %2006: 25.9 %2007: 27.5 %2008: 29 %2009: 30.6 %2010: 32.2 %2011: 33.8 %2012: 35.5 %2013: 37.2 %2014: 38.9 %2015: 40.6 %2016: 42.4 %2017: 44.2 %2018: 44.2 %2019: 44.2 %2020: 44.2 %2021: 44.2 %

Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2021, share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Congo stood at 44.2%. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.

That represents a change of up 30.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Congo peaked at 44.2% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 21.0%, in 2000.

Congo ranks 169th of 178 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 24.5% 21.0% 30.6% 10
2010s 39.3% 32.2% 44.2% 10
2020s 44.2% 44.2% 44.2% 2

Countries ranked near Congo

  1. 166 Papua New Guinea 48.3% compare
  2. 167 Ethiopia 47.0% compare
  3. 168 Niger 46.4% compare
  4. 170 Chad 43.8% compare
  5. 171 Madagascar 39.3% compare
  6. 172 Angola 36.9% compare

See the full ranking of 178 places →

More environment data for Congo

All data for Congo →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Congo?
Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Congo was 44.2% 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 share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services recorded in Congo?
The highest recorded value was 44.2% in 2017.
What is the lowest share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services recorded in Congo?
The lowest recorded value was 21.0% in 2000.
How does Congo rank for share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services?
Congo ranks 169th out of 178 countries with data for 2021.
Is share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services rising or falling in Congo?
Over the last ten years it is up 30.7%. 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 Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services
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
178 places, 4,351 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

Proportion of people who use an improved drinking water source, which is either located on their premises, or at a collection point, which takes no more than 30 minutes for a roundtrip.