Where basic drinking water coverage rose or fell in Central Africa
Cameroon’s estimate for at least basic drinking water rose from 55.8% of the population in 2000 to 71.4% in 2024. The Central African Republic moved from 59.0% to 36.5%.
Sources checked
Central Africa Record Editorial Team
Geographic comparisonBasic drinking water coverage in five Central African countries
Cameroon’s estimate increased by about 15.6 percentage points from 2000 to 2024. Chad’s moved from 38.6% to 52.2%, an increase of about 13.6 points. Gabon increased from 80.1% to 88.6%. Source 1
Coverage fell in the Central African Republic
The estimate was 59.0% in 2000, 47.6% in 2010 and 36.5% in 2024. DR Congo was at 35.7% in 2024, down from 37.6% in 2000. The Republic of the Congo’s last available estimate was 73.5% in 2021. Source 1
A basic service combines source and collection time
Eligible sources can include piped water, a borehole, a protected well or spring, or packaged or delivered water. An improved source that takes more than 30 minutes to reach, queue at and return from falls below the basic threshold. Source 2
Safely managed drinking water uses a higher threshold
The basic-or-better figure includes households that meet the safely managed standard, but the basic threshold does not by itself demonstrate availability when needed or freedom from contamination. Use the separate safely managed series for those conditions. Source 2