At a glance
Twelve headline indicators, latest available year.
What changed in DR Congo
Statistically notable movements in the latest data.
- Record high2025MajorGDP per capita reached a record high of US$ 807 in 2025 (series since 1960).
- Record high2025MajorGDP reached a record high of US$ 91.0B in 2025 (series since 1960).
- Record high2025MajorExports reached a record high of US$ 39.5B in 2025 (series since 1994).
- Record high2024NotableLife expectancy reached a record high of 62.1 years in 2024 (series since 1960).
Countries similar to DR Congo
Nearest peers by standardised distance on the selected dimension.
Country DNA
Percentile rank among all countries on nine dimensions. Descriptive, not a score.
2025
Key facts
Computed from the data — no model-generated numbers.
Within Sub-Saharan Africa, DR Congo ranks 41st of 47 for GDP per capita (PPP) (intl $ 1,920, 2025).
With a median age of 15.8 years, DR Congo ranks 211th of 216 countries worldwide (2023).
Renewables' share of electricity generation rose from 98.9 % in 2010 to 100.0 % in 2024 (+1.1 points).
45.1 % of the population lived in urban areas in 2025, compared with 34.9 % in 2000.
Trade is worth 87.3 % of GDP (2025), above the world median of 79.5 %.
Unemployment of 4.4 % in 2025 is below the Sub-Saharan Africa median of 5.3 %.
Life expectancy of 62.1 years ranks 36th of 48 in Sub-Saharan Africa (2024).
CO₂ emissions of 0.05 t per person are 0.02× the world median of 3.10 t (2024).
DR Congo's population grew 123.4 % between 2000 and 2025, from 50.5M people to 112.8M people.
The fertility rate fell from 6.70 births/woman in 2000 to 5.98 births/woman in 2024.
19.7 % of people used the internet in 2024, up from 0.7 % in 2010.
Life expectancy gained 10.2 years since 2000, from 51.9 years to 62.1 years in 2024.
GDP grew 5.2 % a year on average over 2014–2025.
GDP per capita rose from US$ 378 in 2000 to US$ 807 in 2025 (+113.5 % in current US dollars).
Borders: Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia
Languages: French, Kikongo, Lingala, Swahili, Tshiluba
Timeline
Records, reversals and turning points across the whole history.
- 2025
- 2024
- Sharp riseTerrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) rose 1.0 points to 14.9 % in 2024.
- Sharp dropHydropower electricity share fell 1.7 points to 84.2 % in 2024.
- Sharp riseServices exports rose 552.4 % to US$ 322.0M in 2024.
- Sharp riseSolar electricity share rose 1.7 points to 15.8 % in 2024.
- Sharp dropGross savings (% of GDP) fell 4.1 points to 27.6 % in 2024.
- Record lowICT service exports (% of service exports) fell to a new low of 1.3 % in 2024, the first since 2019.
- 2023
- Sharp dropCO₂ emissions from land-use change fell 93.7 Mt to 669.2 Mt in 2023.
- Sharp riseLife expectancy at birth, male rose 0.9 years to 59.8 years in 2023.
- Sharp riseMerchandise imports (current US$) rose 123.8 % to US$ 25.5B in 2023.
- Sharp riseLife expectancy at birth, female rose 0.9 years to 64.0 years in 2023.
- Sharp riseMilitary spending rose 0.6 points to 1.1 % in 2023.
- Sharp dropAir transport, freight fell 56.3 % to 0 Mt-km in 2023.
- Record lowFertility fell to a new low of 6.05 births/woman in 2023, the first since 1960.
- Sharp risePrevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity rose 1.3 points to 81.5 % in 2023.
- Sharp riseMerchandise exports (current US$) rose 76.9 % to US$ 27.7B in 2023.
- Sharp dropPrimary completion rate fell 5.2 points to 75.7 % in 2023.
- Record lowAgricultural raw materials exports (% of merchandise exports) fell to a new low of 0.3 % in 2023, the first since 2018.
- Record highAir transport, passengers carried set a new high of 1.2M passengers in 2023, the first since 2017.
- Record highEmployment in services (% of total employment) set a new high of 32.5 % in 2023, the first since 1991.
- Record lowUnder-5 mortality rate fell to a new low of 91.3 per 1,000 in 2023, the first since 2016.
- Record highMilitary expenditure (current US$) set a new high of US$ 794.2M in 2023, the first since 2015.
- Record highGNI per capita set a new high of US$ 680 in 2023, the first since 1980.
- Record lowFuel exports (% of merchandise exports) fell to a new low of 0.0 % in 2023, the first since 1962.
- 2022
- Sharp riseContribution to global warming from greenhouse gases rose 0.0010 °C to 0.0130 °C in 2022.
- Sharp dropHydropower electricity share fell 6.4 points to 86.2 % in 2022.
- Sharp riseEmployment to population ratio (ages 15+) rose 1.2 points to 61.4 % in 2022.
- Sharp dropTrade balance fell US$ 3.1B to US$ -2.9B in 2022.
- Sharp riseSolar electricity share rose 6.4 points to 13.8 % in 2022.
Explore DR Congo by topic
19 topics · 260 indicators with data.
- Economy24 with data · 27 indicators
- Government & public finance14 with data · 18 indicators
- Population & demographics23 with data · 23 indicators
- Employment & wages12 with data · 19 indicators
- Income & inequality8 with data · 10 indicators
- Housing0 with data · 12 indicators
- Health23 with data · 23 indicators
- Education15 with data · 16 indicators
- Trade21 with data · 21 indicators
- Energy26 with data · 26 indicators
- Climate15 with data · 16 indicators
- Environment10 with data · 10 indicators
- Infrastructure & transportation10 with data · 10 indicators
- Digital economy & Internet6 with data · 6 indicators
- Innovation, research & technology9 with data · 9 indicators
- Agriculture & natural resources20 with data · 20 indicators
- Tourism5 with data · 5 indicators
- Security & governance7 with data · 15 indicators
- Quality of life12 with data · 14 indicators