Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Congo
Congo: Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas was 23.0% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas 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
In 2021, open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Congo stood at 23.0%. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Congo peaked at 23.0% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 16.0%, in 2000.
That places Congo 27th out of 175 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 17.5% | 16.0% | 19.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.8% | 19.9% | 23.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.0% | 23.0% | 23.0% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Congo
- 24 Sierra Leone 24.8% compare
- 25 Sudan 24.1% compare
- 26 Mozambique 23.5% compare
- 28 Ethiopia 20.4% compare
- 29 Lesotho 19.7% compare
- 30 Democratic Republic of Congo 18.8% compare
More reference data data for Congo
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.6423 °C (2026)
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.3226 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.8729 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.7385 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 146.54 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.6531 °C (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Free country 0 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating 6 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Congo?
- Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas in Congo was 23.0% 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 open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 23.0% in 2017.
- What is the lowest open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.0% in 2000.
- How does Congo rank for open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas?
- Congo ranks 27th out of 175 countries with data for 2021.
- Is open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.0%. 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 Open defecation in rural areas vs. urban areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.