Sanitation facilities usage in Congo

Congo: Sanitation facilities usage was 492,205 people in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
492,205 people
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
47th
of 232 countries
All-time high
492,205 people
in 2021
All-time low
259,578 people
in 2000
Years of data
22
2000–2021

Sanitation facilities usage in Congo, 2000–2021

0100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k500.0k2000201020212000: 259.6k people2001: 267.6k people2002: 276.3k people2003: 286.4k people2004: 298.6k people2005: 311.7k people2006: 325.6k people2007: 339.6k people2008: 352.8k people2009: 368.8k people2010: 385.9k people2011: 399.9k people2012: 412.4k people2013: 423.4k people2014: 434.5k people2015: 445.6k people2016: 456.7k people2017: 468.0k people2018: 474.1k people2019: 480.2k people2020: 486.2k people2021: 492.2k people

Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.

Analysis

Congo recorded 492,205 people for sanitation facilities usage in 2021. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.

The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 23.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, sanitation facilities usage in Congo peaked at 492,205 people in 2021 and was at its lowest, 259,578 people, in 2000.

Congo ranks 47th of 232 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 308,690 people 259,578 people 368,776 people 10
2010s 438,065 people 385,858 people 480,162 people 10
2020s 489,186 people 486,168 people 492,205 people 2

Countries ranked near Congo

  1. 44 Laos 678,318 people compare
  2. 45 Peru 657,879 people compare
  3. 46 Argentina 657,422 people compare
  4. 48 Zambia 435,970 people compare
  5. 49 Malawi 420,944 people compare
  6. 50 Solomon Islands 371,400 people compare

See the full ranking of 232 places →

More reference data data for Congo

All data for Congo →

Frequently asked questions

What is sanitation facilities usage in Congo?
Sanitation facilities usage in Congo was 492,205 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 sanitation facilities usage recorded in Congo?
The highest recorded value was 492,205 people in 2021.
What is the lowest sanitation facilities usage recorded in Congo?
The lowest recorded value was 259,578 people in 2000.
How does Congo rank for sanitation facilities usage?
Congo ranks 47th out of 232 countries with data for 2021.
Is sanitation facilities usage rising or falling in Congo?
Over the last ten years it is up 23.1%. 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 Sanitation facilities usage. 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

Indicator
Sanitation facilities usage
Unit
people
Source
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
232 places, 5,488 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

Open defecation includes defecating in fields, forests, bushes, bodies of water or other open spaces, not using any sanitation facilities.