Democratic Republic of Congo vs Congo: Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas
Democratic Republic of Congo
18.8%
in 2024
Congo
23.0%
in 2021
Democratic Republic of Congo rank
30th
Congo rank
27th
Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas over time
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Congo
How they compare
Congo currently reports 23.0% against 18.8% in Democratic Republic of Congo, a difference of 4.2%.
That makes Congo's figure about 1.2 times Democratic Republic of Congo's.
Across all 22 years both countries report, Congo has been ahead every year.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 30th and Congo ranks 27th of 175 countries.
Congo has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Democratic Republic of Congo | Congo | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15.6% | 17.5% | 1.9% | Congo |
| 2010s | 17.7% | 21.8% | 4.1% | Congo |
| 2020s | 18.8% | 23.0% | 4.2% | Congo |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas, Democratic Republic of Congo or Congo?
- Congo, at 23.0% against 18.8% in Democratic Republic of Congo as of 2021.
- What is the difference in open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas between Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo?
- 4.2%, with Congo ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo?
- 22 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2021.
- How do Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo rank globally for open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 30th and Congo ranks 27th of 175 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of people who practice open defecation. This includes defecating in fields, forests, bushes, bodies of water or other open spaces, not using any sanitation facilities.