2021 Edition

Background

Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a democratically elected government took office in 1992. A two-year civil war that ended in 1999 restored former Marxist President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso, who had ruled from 1979 to 1992, and sparked a short period of ethnic and political unrest that was resolved by a peace agreement in late 1999. A new constitution adopted three years later provided for a multi-party system and a seven-year presidential term, and elections arranged shortly thereafter installed SASSOU-Nguesso. Following a year of renewed fighting, President SASSOU-Nguesso and southern-based rebel groups agreed to a final peace accord in March 2003. SASSOU-Nguesso was reeelected in 2009 and, after passing a referendum allowing him to run for a third term, was reelected again in 2016. The Republic of Congo is one of Africa's largest petroleum producers, but with declining production it will need new offshore oil finds to sustain its oil earnings over the long term.

Area

land

341,500 sq km

total

342,000 sq km

water

500 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Montana; about twice the size of Florida

Climate

tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); persistent high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator

Coastline

169 km

Elevation

highest point

Mount Berongou 903 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

430 m

Geographic coordinates

1 00 S, 15 00 E

Geography - note

about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them

Irrigated land

20 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Angola 231 km, Cameroon 494 km, Central African Republic 487 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1775 km, Gabon 2567 km

total

5,554 km

Land use

agricultural land

31.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 1.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 29.3% (2018 est.)

forest

65.6% (2018 est.)

other

3.3% (2018 est.)

Location

Central Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon

Major aquifers

Congo Basin

Major rivers (by length in km)

Ubangi (shared with Central African Republic [s] and Democratic Republic of Congo [m]) - 2,270 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

seasonal flooding

Natural resources

petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower

Population distribution

the population is primarily located in the south, in and around the capital of Brazzaville as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin

Age structure

0-14 years

41.57% (male 1,110,484/female 1,089,732)

15-24 years

17.14% (male 454,981/female 452,204)

25-54 years

33.5% (male 886,743/female 886,312)

55-64 years

4.59% (male 125,207/female 117,810)

65 years and over

3.2% (male 75,921/female 93,676) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

32.15 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

12.3% (2014/15)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

30.1% (2014/15)

Current Health Expenditure

2.1% (2018)

Death rate

8.55 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Demographic profile

The Republic of the Congo is one of the most urbanized countries in Africa, with nearly 70% of Congolese living in urban areas.  The population is concentrated in the southwest of the country, mainly in the capital Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and along the railway line that connects the two.  The tropical jungles in the north of the country are sparsely populated.  Most Congolese are Bantu, and most belong to one of four main ethnic groups, the Kongo, Teke, Mbochi, and Sangha, which consist of over 70 subgroups. The Republic of Congo is in the early stages of a demographic transition, whereby a population shifts from high fertility and mortality rates to low fertility and mortality rates associated with industrialized societies.  Its total fertility rate (TFR), the average number of children born per woman, remains high at 4.4.  While its TFR has steadily decreased, the progress slowed beginning in about 1995.  The slowdown in fertility reduction has delayed the demographic transition and Congo’s potential to reap a demographic dividend, the economic boost that can occur when the share of the working-age population is larger than the dependent age groups.  The TFR differs significantly between urban and rural areas – 3.7 in urban areas versus 6.5 in rural areas.  The TFR also varies among regions.  The urban regions of Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire have much lower TFRs than other regions, which are predominantly or completely rural.  The gap between desired fertility and actual fertility is also greatest in rural areas.  Rural families may have more children to contribute to agricultural production and/or due to a lack of information about and access to contraception.  Urban families may prefer to have fewer children because raising them is more expensive and balancing work and childcare may be more difficult.  The number of births among teenage girls, the frequency of giving birth before the age of fifteen, and a lack of education are the most likely reasons for higher TFRs in rural areas.  Although 90% of school-age children are enrolled in primary school, repetition and dropout rates are high and the quality of education is poor.  Congolese women with no or little education start having children earlier and have more children in total than those with at least some secondary education.  

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

4.9

potential support ratio

20.3 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

78.7

youth dependency ratio

73.7

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 56.4% of population

improved: total

total: 83.7% of population

improved: urban

urban: 97.5% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 43.6% of population

unimproved: total

total: 16.3% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 2.5% of population

Education expenditures

3.9% of GDP (2019)

Ethnic groups

Kongo 40.5%, Teke 16.9%, Mbochi 13.1%, foreigner 8.2%, Sangha 5.6%, Mbere/Mbeti/Kele 4.4%, Punu 4.3%, Pygmy 1.6%, Oubanguiens 1.6%, Duma 1.5%, Makaa 1.3%, other and unspecified 1% (2014-15 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

3.3% (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

6,100 (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

110,000 (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

44.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

53.82 deaths/1,000 live births

total

49.28 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Languages

French (official), French Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is the most widespread)

major-language sample(s)

Buku oyo ya bosembo ya Mokili Mobimba Ezali na Makanisi ya Liboso Mpenza. (Lingala)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

63.16 years (2021 est.)

male

60.27 years

total population

61.69 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

74.6% (2018)

male

86.1%

total population

80.3%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies

degree of risk

very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

Major urban areas - population

2.470 million BRAZZAVILLE (capital), 1.254 million Pointe-Noire (2021)

Maternal mortality ratio

378 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

19.7 years (2020 est.)

male

19.3 years

total

19.5 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.8 years (2011/12 est.)

note

note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Nationality

adjective

Congolese or Congo

noun

Congolese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

9.6% (2016)

Physicians density

0.17 physicians/1,000 population (2011)

Population

5,417,414 (July 2021 est.)

note

note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected

Population distribution

the population is primarily located in the south, in and around the capital of Brazzaville as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

2.36% (2021 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 33.1%, Awakening Churches/Christian Revival 22.3%, Protestant 19.9%, Salutiste 2.2%, Muslim 1.6%, Kimbanguiste 1.5%, other 8.1%, none 11.3% (2010 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 15.1% of population

improved: total

total: 53.9% of population

improved: urban

urban: 73.4% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 84.9% of population

unimproved: total

total: 46.1% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 26.6% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

11 years (2012)

male

11 years

total

11 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.01 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1 male(s)/female

55-64 years

1.06 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.81 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.41 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.19% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

68.3% of total population (2021)

Administrative divisions

12 departments (departments, singular - department); Bouenza, Brazzaville, Cuvette, Cuvette-Ouest, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pointe-Noire, Pool, Sangha

Capital

etymology

named after the Italian-born French explorer and humanitarian, Pierre Savorgnan de BRAZZA (1852-1905), who promoted French colonial interests in central Africa and worked against slavery and the abuse of African laborers

geographic coordinates

4 15 S, 15 17 E

name

Brazzaville

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of the Republic of the Congo

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the president of the republic or by Parliament; passage of presidential proposals requires Supreme Court review followed by approval in a referendum; such proposals may also be submitted directly to Parliament, in which case passage requires at least three-quarters majority vote of both houses in joint session; proposals by Parliament require three-fourths majority vote of both houses in joint session; constitutional articles including those affecting the country’s territory, republican form of government, and secularity of the state are not amendable

history

several previous; latest approved by referendum 25 October 2015

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of the Congo

conventional short form

Congo (Brazzaville)

etymology

named for the Congo River, which makes up much of the country's eastern border; the river name derives from Kongo, a Bantu kingdom that occupied its mouth at the time of Portuguese discovery in the late 15th century and whose name stems from its people the Bakongo, meaning "hunters"

former

French Congo, Middle Congo, People's Republic of the Congo, Congo/Brazzaville

local long form

Republique du Congo

local short form

Congo

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Ellen B. THORBURN (since January 2021)

email address and website

BrazzavilleACS@state.govhttps://cg.usembassy.gov/

embassy

70-83 Section D, Boulevard Denis Sassou N'Guesso, Brazzaville

mailing address

2090 Brazzaville Place, Washington DC 20521-2090

telephone

[242] 06 612-2000, [242] 05 387-9700

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1720 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Serge MOMBOULI (since 31 July 2001)

consulate(s)

New Orleans

email address and website

info@ambacongo-us.orghttp://www.ambacongo-us.org/en-us/home.aspx

FAX

[1] (202) 726-1860

telephone

[1] (202) 726-5500

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso (since 25 October 1997)

election results

Denis SASSOU-Nguesso reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-Nguesso (PCT) 88.4%, Guy Price Parfait KOLELAS (MCDDI) 8.0%, turnout is 67.6%.

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for 2 additional terms); election last held on 21 March 2021 (next to be held on 21 March 2026)

head of government

Prime Minister Clement MOUAMBA (since 24 April 2016); note - a constitutional referendum held in 2015 approved the change of the head of government from the president to the prime minister (2019)

Flag description

divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a yellow band; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is red; green symbolizes agriculture and forests, yellow the friendship and nobility of the people, red is unexplained but has been associated with the struggle for independence

note

note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

15 August 1960 (from France)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest courts

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of NA judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members); note - a High Court of Justice, outside the judicial authority, tries cases involving treason by the president of the republic

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court judges elected by Parliament and serve until age 65; Constitutional Court members appointed by the president of the republic - 3 directly by the president and 6 nominated by Parliament; members appointed for renewable 9-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years

subordinate courts

Court of Audit and Budgetary Discipline; courts of appeal; regional and district courts; employment tribunals; juvenile courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of French civil law and customary law

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of:Senate (72 seats; members indirectly elected by regional councils by simple majority vote to serve 6-year terms with one-half of membership renewed every 3 years) National Assembly (151 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

  Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PCT 46, independent 12, MAR 2, RDPS 2, UPADS 2, DRD 1, FP 1, MCDDI 1, PRL 1, Pulp 1, PUR 1, RC 1; composition - men 58, women 14, percent of women 19.4% National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PCT 96, UPADS 8, MCDDI 4, other 23 (less than 4 seats) independent 20; composition - men 134, women 17, percent of women 11.3%; note - total Parliament percent of women 13.9%

elections

  Senate - last held on 31 August 2017 for expiry of half the seats (next to be held in 2020) National Assembly - last held on 16 and 30 July 2017 (next to be held in July 2022)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Jacques TONDRA and Georges KIBANGHI/Jean ROYER and Joseph SPADILIERE

name

"La Congolaise" (The Congolese)

note

note: originally adopted 1959, restored 1991

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 August (1960)

National symbol(s)

lion, elephant; national colors: green, yellow, red

Political parties and leaders

Action Movement for Renewal or MAR [Roland BOUITI-VIAUDO]Citizen's Rally or RC [Claude Alphonse NSILOU]Congolese Labour Party or PCT [Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO]Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development or MCDDI [Guy Price Parfait KOLELAS]Movement for Unity, Solidarity, and Work or MUST [Claudine MUNARI]Pan-African Union for Social Development or UPADS [Pascal Tsaty MABIALA]Party for the Unity of the Republic or PURPatriotic Union for Democracy and Progress or UPDP [Auguste-Celestin GONGARD NKOUA]Prospects and Realities Club or CPRRally for Democracy and Social Progress or RDPS [Bernard BATCHI]Rally of the Presidential Majority or RMPRepublican and Liberal Party or PRL [Bonaventure MIZIDY]Union for the Republic or URUnion of Democratic Forces or UDFUnion for Democracy and Republic or UDRmany smaller parties

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

cassava, sugar cane, oil palm fruit, cassava leaves, bananas, plantains, roots/tubers, game meat, vegetables, mangoes/guavas

Budget

expenditures

2.578 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

1.965 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

CCC (2019)

Moody's rating

Caa2 (2018)

Standard & Poors rating

CCC+ (2020)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$5.735 billion (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$1.128 billion (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2016

$4.721 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2017

$4.605 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Economic overview

The Republic of the Congo’s economy is a mixture of subsistence farming, an industrial sector based largely on oil and support services, and government spending. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing a major share of government revenues and exports. Natural gas is increasingly being converted to electricity rather than being flared, greatly improving energy prospects. New mining projects, particularly iron ore, which entered production in late 2013, may add as much as $1 billion to annual government revenue. The Republic of the Congo is a member of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) and shares a common currency – the Central African Franc – with five other member states in the region.The current administration faces difficult economic challenges of stimulating recovery and reducing poverty. The drop in oil prices that began in 2014 has constrained government spending; lower oil prices forced the government to cut more than $1 billion in planned spending. The fiscal deficit amounted to 11% of GDP in 2017. The government’s inability to pay civil servant salaries has resulted in multiple rounds of strikes by many groups, including doctors, nurses, and teachers. In the wake of a multi-year recession, the country reached out to the IMF in 2017 for a new program; the IMF noted that the country’s continued dependence on oil, unsustainable debt, and significant governance weakness are key impediments to the country’s economy. In 2018, the country’s external debt level will approach 120% of GDP. The IMF urged the government to renegotiate debts levels to sustainable levels before it agreed to a new macroeconomic adjustment package.

Exchange rates

currency

Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

494.42 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

591.45 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

593.01 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

593.01 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

579.8 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2016

$4.116 billion (2016 est.)

Exports 2017

$4.193 billion (2017 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, copper, lumber, ships, refined petroleum (2019)

Exports - partners

China 49%, United Arab Emirates 15%, India 6%, Italy 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

62.9% (2017 est.)

government consumption

9.6% (2017 est.)

household consumption

47.6% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-62.7% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

42.5% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.1% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

9.3% (2017 est.)

industry

51% (2017 est.)

services

39.7% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$8.718 billion (2017 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2011

48.9 (2011 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

37.1% (2005)

lowest 10%

2.1%

Imports

Imports 2016

$5.639 billion (2016 est.)

Imports 2017

$2.501 billion (2017 est.)

Imports - commodities

ships, chicken products, refined petroleum, processed fish, packaged medicines (2019)

Imports - partners

China 15%, France 12%, Belgium 6%, Angola 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

-3% (2017 est.)

Industries

petroleum extraction, cement, lumber, brewing, sugar, palm oil, soap, flour, cigarettes

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

0.4% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

1.1% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

2.2% (2019 est.)

Labor force

2.055 million (2016 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

35.4%

industry

20.6%

services

44% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line

40.9% (2011 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

128.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

130.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$20.63 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$20.68 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$19.03 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

2.6% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

-2.8% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

-3.1% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$3,900 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$3,800 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$3,400 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$727.1 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$505.7 million (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

22.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2014

36% (2014 est.)

Crude oil - exports

254,100 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

340,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

1.6 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

912 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

22 million kWh (2015 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

64% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

36% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

18 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

591,500 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

1.696 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

36% (2019)

electrification - total population

72% (2019)

electrification - urban areas

89% (2019)

Natural gas - consumption

1.387 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

1.387 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

90.61 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

17,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

5,766 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

7,162 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

15,760 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

less than 1 (2014 est.)

total

500 (2014)

Broadcast media

1 state-owned TV and 3 state-owned radio stations; several privately owned TV and radio stations; satellite TV service is available; rebroadcasts of several international broadcasters are available

Internet country code

.cg

Internet users

percent of population

8.65% (2019 est.)

total

790,000 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line infrastructure inadequate, providing less than 1 fixed-line connection per 100 persons; in the absence of an adequate fixed-line infrastructure, mobile-cellular subscribership has surged to 95 per 100 persons (2019)

general assessment

suffering from economic challenges of stimulating recovery and reducing poverty; primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable with services barely adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; intercity lines frequently out of order; youth are seeking the Internet more than their parents and often gain access through cyber cafes; only the most affluent have Internet access in their homes; operator has plans to upgrade national broadband through fiber link to WACS landing station at Pointe-Noire with connections to Angola and DRC; fiber network project with aims to connect north and south regions; DRC operator added fiber link between Brazzaville and Kinshasa (2020)

international

country code - 242; WACS submarine cables to Europe and Western and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

less than 1 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

17,000 (2017)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

95.34 (2018 est.)

total subscriptions

5 million (2018)

Airports

total

27 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

5 (2017)

2,438 to 3,047 m

1

over 3,047 m

2

total

8

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

8

914 to 1,523 m

9

total

19

under 914 m

2 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

TN

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 1, oil tanker 1, other 9 (2021)

total

11

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

4.6 million mt-km (2018)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

333,899 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

12

number of registered air carriers

3 (2020)

Pipelines

232 km gas, 4 km liquid petroleum gas, 982 km oil (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Pointe-Noire

note

Impfondo (Oubangi) Ouesso (Sangha) Oyo (Alima)

oil terminal(s)

Djeno

river port(s)

Brazzaville (Congo)

Railways

narrow gauge

510 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)

total

510 km (2014)

Roadways

note

note: road network in Congo is composed of 23,324 km of which 17,000 km are classified as national, departmental, and routes of local interest: 6,324 km are non-classified routes

paved

3,111 km (2017)

total

23,324 km (2017)

unpaved

20,213 km (2017)

Waterways

1,120 km (commercially navigable on Congo and Oubanqui Rivers above Brazzaville; there are many ferries across the river to Kinshasa; the Congo south of Brazzaville-Kinshasa to the coast is not navigable because of rapids, necessitating a rail connection to Pointe Noire; other rivers are used for local traffic only) (2011)

Military - note

as of 2021, that FAC had limited capabilities due to obsolescent and poorly maintained equipment and low levels of training; its primary focus was internal security; since its creation in 1961, the FAC has had a turbulent history; it has been sidelined by some national leaders in favor of personal militias, endured  an internal rebellion (1996), and clashed with various rebel groups and political or ethnic militias (1993-1996, 2002-2005, 2017); during the 1997-1999 civil war, the military generally split along ethnic lines, with most northern officers supporting eventual winner SASSOU-Nguesso, and most southerners backing the rebels; others joined ethnic-based factions loyal to regional warlords; forces backing SASSOU-Nguesso were supported by Angolan troops and received some French assistance; the FAC also has undergone at least three reorganizations that included the incorporation of former rebel combatants and various ethnic and political militias; in recent years, France has provided some advice and training, and a military cooperation agreement was signed with Russia in 2019

Military and security forces

Congolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Congolaises, FAC): Army (Armee de Terre), Navy, Congolese Air Force (Armee de l'Air Congolaise), Gendarmerie (2021)

Military and security service personnel strengths

the Congolese Armed Forces (FAC) have approximately 12,000 active duty troops (8,000 Army; 800 Navy; 1,000 Air Force; 2,000 Gendarmerie) (2020)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the FAC is armed with mostly ageing Russian/Soviet-era weapons, with some French and South African equipment; the leading supplier of arms to the FAC since 2010 is South Africa (2020)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2016

6.4% of GDP (2016)

Military Expenditures 2017

4.3% of GDP (2017)

Military Expenditures 2018

2.5% of GDP (2018)

Military Expenditures 2019

2.7% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

3.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; women may serve in the Armed Forces (2019)

Disputes - international

the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is undefined except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

304,430 (multiple civil wars since 1992) (2021)

refugees (country of origin)

28,894 (Central African Republic), 22,100 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers)(2021)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

3.28 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

2.24 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

38.67 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); persistent high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator

Environment - current issues

air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation; wildlife protection

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Food insecurity

severe localized food insecurity

due to restrictive measures related to the COVID‑19 pandemic - the negative impact of the restrictive measures related to the COVID‑19 pandemic on informal labor and on food supply chains, resulted, on one side, in the loss of income and, on the other, in high food prices due to a decline in food supply; these factors limited the access to food for the most vulnerable population (2021)

Land use

agricultural land

31.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 1.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 29.3% (2018 est.)

forest

65.6% (2018 est.)

other

3.3% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Congo Basin

Major infectious diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies

degree of risk

very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

Major rivers (by length in km)

Ubangi (shared with Central African Republic [s] and Democratic Republic of Congo [m]) - 2,270 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

3.17% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

832 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

4 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

24 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

63.7 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.19% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

68.3% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

451,200 tons (1993 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

118,214 tons (2005 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

26.2% (2005 est.)