Share of the population using improved water sources in Congo
Congo: Share of the population using improved water sources was 83.8% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Share of the population using improved water sources 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
Congo recorded 83.8% for share of the population using improved water sources in 2021. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 7.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population using improved water sources in Congo peaked at 83.8% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 68.8%, in 2000.
That places Congo 207th out of 231 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Share of the population using improved water sources in Congo, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 68.8% | — |
| 2001 | 69.1% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 69.4% | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 69.8% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 70.9% | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 71.9% | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 72.9% | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 73.9% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 74.8% | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 75.8% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 76.8% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 77.7% | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 78.6% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 79.5% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 80.4% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 81.3% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 82.2% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 83.1% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 83.2% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 83.4% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 83.6% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 83.8% | +0.2% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 83.8% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 92.0%, 91% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Congo's 83.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 85.2%, 98% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 71.7% | 68.8% | 75.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 80.6% | 76.8% | 83.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 83.7% | 83.6% | 83.8% | 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)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population using improved water sources in Congo?
- Share of the population using improved water sources in Congo was 83.8% 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 population using improved water sources recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 83.8% in 2021.
- What is the lowest share of the population using improved water sources recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 68.8% in 2000.
- How does Congo rank for share of the population using improved water sources?
- Congo ranks 207th out of 231 countries with data for 2021.
- Is share of the population using improved water sources rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.9%. 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 population using improved water sources. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Proportion of people who use an improved drinking water source, regardless of collection time. An improved drinking water source is a safely designed drinking water source and includes e.g. piped water, boreholes or tubewells and packaged or delivered water.