Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Congo
Congo: Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population was 97.5% in 2021. ▬ Flat
Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population 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 using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Congo is 97.5%, measured in 2021. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
The figure is up 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Congo peaked at 97.5% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 95.2%, in 2000.
That places Congo 145th out of 188 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Congo, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 95.2% | — |
| 2001 | 95.2% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 95.3% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 95.4% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 95.6% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 95.7% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 95.9% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 96.0% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 96.2% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 96.3% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 96.5% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 96.6% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 96.7% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 96.9% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 97.0% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 97.2% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 97.3% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 97.5% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 97.5% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 97.5% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 97.5% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 97.5% | +0.0% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 97.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 98.5%, 99% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Congo's 97.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 96.6%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 95.7% | 95.2% | 96.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 97.1% | 96.5% | 97.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 97.5% | 97.5% | 97.5% | 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 using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Congo?
- Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Congo was 97.5% 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 using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 97.5% in 2017.
- What is the lowest using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 95.2% in 2000.
- How does Congo rank for using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population?
- Congo ranks 145th out of 188 countries with data for 2021.
- Is using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- 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 Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population. 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 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.