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.

Where does this data come from?

WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO), published as People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Democratic Republic of Congo vs Congo: People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population)

Democratic Republic of Congo

18.8%

in 2024

Congo

23.0%

in 2021

Democratic Republic of Congo rank

30th

Congo rank

27th

People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) 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 171 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 people practicing open defecation, rural, 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 people practicing open defecation, rural 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 people practicing open defecation, rural?: Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 30th and Congo ranks 27th of 171 countries.
Where does this data come from?: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO), published as People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Democratic Republic of Congo vs Congo: People practicing open defecation, rural. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 11 November 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/compare/people-practicing-open-defecation-rural-percent-of-rural-population/congo-dem-rep/congo-rep/

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<a href="https://health.statizoid.com/compare/people-practicing-open-defecation-rural-percent-of-rural-population/congo-dem-rep/congo-rep/">Democratic Republic of Congo vs Congo: People practicing open defecation, rural</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population)
Unit: % of rural population
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO)
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 218 places, 5,299 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed: 29 October 2026

People practicing open defecation refers to the percentage of the population defecating in the open, such as in fields, forest, bushes, open bodies of water, on beaches, in other open spaces or disposed of with solid waste.