People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Congo
Congo: People in rural areas not using an improved water source was 850,757 people in 2021. ▼ Falling
People in rural areas not using an improved water source 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, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Congo stood at 850,757 people.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and down 8.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Congo peaked at 945,737 people in 2003 and was at its lowest, 817,051 people, in 2017.
That places Congo 53rd out of 178 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Congo, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 894,851 people | — |
| 2001 | 918,893 people | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 930,241 people | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 945,737 people | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 944,073 people | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 943,513 people | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 943,589 people | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 942,122 people | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 936,355 people | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 936,361 people | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 936,802 people | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 927,996 people | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 914,119 people | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 896,142 people | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 877,352 people | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 857,884 people | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 837,776 people | -2.3% |
| 2017 | 817,051 people | -2.5% |
| 2018 | 825,815 people | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 834,243 people | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 842,520 people | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 850,757 people | +1.0% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 850,757 people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 796,634 people, 1.1× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Congo's 850,757 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.93 million people, 44% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 933,574 people | 894,851 people | 945,737 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 872,518 people | 817,051 people | 936,802 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 846,638 people | 842,520 people | 850,757 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 people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Congo?
- People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Congo was 850,757 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 people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 945,737 people in 2003.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 817,051 people in 2017.
- How does Congo rank for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- Congo ranks 53rd out of 178 countries with data for 2021.
- Is people in rural areas not using an improved water source rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 People in rural areas not using an improved water source. 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 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.