People practicing open defecation, urban (% of urban population) in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: People practicing open defecation, urban (% of urban population) was 3.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
People practicing open defecation, urban 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 urban population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for people practicing open defecation, urban in Democratic Republic of Congo is 3.9%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 11.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people practicing open defecation, urban in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 3.9% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.6%, in 2000.
That places Democratic Republic of Congo 22nd out of 182 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, urban (% of urban population) in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | % of urban population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2.6% | — |
| 2001 | 2.6% | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 2.7% | +2.5% |
| 2003 | 2.8% | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 2.8% | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 2.9% | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 3.0% | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 3.0% | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 3.1% | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 3.2% | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 3.2% | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 3.3% | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 3.4% | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 3.4% | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 3.5% | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 3.6% | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 3.6% | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 3.7% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 3.8% | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 3.8% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 3.9% | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 3.9% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 3.9% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 3.9% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 3.9% | +0.0% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 3.9% is above the median for low income countries, which is 2.7%, 1.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 3.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.9%, 2.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.9% | 2.6% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.5% | 3.2% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.9% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
- 19 Burkina Faso 4.8% compare
- 20 Mozambique 4.5% compare
- 21 Cote d'Ivoire 4.3% compare
- 23 Lesotho 3.7% compare
- 24 Marshall Islands 3.7% compare
- 25 Sierra Leone 3.7% compare
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, urban in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- People practicing open defecation, urban in Democratic Republic of Congo was 3.9% 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, urban recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 3.9% in 2020.
- What is the lowest people practicing open defecation, urban recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.6% in 2000.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for people practicing open defecation, urban?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 22nd out of 182 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people practicing open defecation, urban rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.3%. 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, urban (% of urban 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.