People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) was 18.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
People practicing open defecation, rural in Democratic Republic of Congo, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of rural population.
Analysis
Democratic Republic of Congo recorded 18.8% for people practicing open defecation, rural in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, rural in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 18.8% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 14.7%, in 2000.
That places Democratic Republic of Congo 30th out of 171 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 14.7% | — |
| 2001 | 14.9% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 15.1% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 15.3% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 15.5% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 15.8% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 16.0% | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 16.2% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 16.4% | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 16.6% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 16.8% | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 17.0% | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 17.2% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 17.4% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 17.6% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 17.8% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 18.0% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 18.2% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 18.4% | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 18.6% | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 18.8% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 18.8% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 18.8% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 18.8% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 18.8% | +0.0% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 18.8% is below the median for low income countries, which is 20.4%, 92% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 18.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 19.7%, 96% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15.6% | 14.7% | 16.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.7% | 16.8% | 18.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.8% | 18.8% | 18.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More health data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.56 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.03 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 133,650 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 390 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 2.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0895 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 2.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0905 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people practicing open defecation, rural in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- People practicing open defecation, rural in Democratic Republic of Congo was 18.8% in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest people practicing open defecation, rural recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 18.8% in 2020.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, rural recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.7% in 2000.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for people practicing open defecation, rural?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 30th out of 171 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation, rural rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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.