2023 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 retained 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 reelected in 2009 and, after passing a referendum allowing him to run for additional terms, was reelected again in 2016 and 2021. 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

Mont Nabeba 1,020 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 1,775 km; Gabon 2,567 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)

Oubangui (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

40.44% (male 1,159,264/female 1,136,501)

15-64 years

56.15% (male 1,598,111/female 1,590,032)

65 years and over

3.41% (2023 est.) (male 88,323/female 105,262)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

5.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.52 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

5.74 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

29.1 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

5.6% (2018 est.)

women married by age 15

8.4%

women married by age 18

29.1%

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

12.3% (2014/15)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

30.1% (2014/15)

Current health expenditure

4.5% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

51.8% (2023 est.)

Death rate

5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 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 as of 2022.  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

4.8

potential support ratio

20.9 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

78.8

youth dependency ratio

74

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 56.4% of population

improved: total

total: 84.2% of population

improved: urban

urban: 97.5% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 43.6% of population

unimproved: total

total: 15.8% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 2.5% of population

Education expenditures

4.5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

Kongo (Bakongo) 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.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.9 (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

28.4 deaths/1,000 live births

male

34.3 deaths/1,000 live births

total

31.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

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

73.6 years

male

70.8 years

total population

72.2 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

75.4% (2021)

male

85.9%

total population

80.6%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies

degree of risk

very high (2023)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

note

note: on 31 August 2023, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; the Republic of the Congo is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine

vectorborne diseases

malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

Major urban areas - population

2.638 million BRAZZAVILLE (capital), 1.336 million Pointe-Noire (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

282 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

20.7 years

male

20.3 years

total

20.5 years (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.6 years (2011/12 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49

Nationality

adjective

Congolese or Congo

noun

Congolese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

9.6% (2016)

Physicians density

0.1 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

5,677,493 (2023 est.)

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

2.4% (2023 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% (2007 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 15.1% of population

improved: total

total: 54.7% of population

improved: urban

urban: 73.4% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 84.9% of population

unimproved: total

total: 45.3% of population (2020 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

15-64 years

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.84 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

1 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

2.1% (2020 est.)

male

26.8% (2020 est.)

total

14.5% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.86 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

69.2% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

42.5%

male

42.2%

total

42.3% (2021 est.)

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 Eugene S. YOUNG (since 30 March 2022)

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 1997)

election results

2021: 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%, other 3.6% 2016: Denis SASSOU-Nguesso reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-Nguesso (PCT) 60.4%, Guy Price Parfait KOLELAS (MCDDI) 15.1%, Jean-Marie MOKOKO (independent) 13.9%, Pascal Tsaty MABIALA (UPADS) 4.4%, other 6.2% 

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 Anatole Collinet MAKOSSO (since 12 May 2021)

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), LCBC (observer), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

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 Parliament consists of:Senate (72 seats; members indirectly elected by local, district, and regional councils by simple majority vote to serve 6-year terms) note- the Senate is renewed in its entirety following a constitutional reform implemented in 2015 ending the renewal by halfNational 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 112, UPADS 7, UDH-YUKI 7, MAR 4, RLP 2, CLUB 2002 2, DRR 2, RDPS 2, PAC 1, MSD 1, MDP 1, CPR 1, PPRD 1, CR 1, MCDDI 1, independent 6; 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 (next to be held in 2023)National Assembly - last held on 10 and 31 July 2022 (next to be held in July 2027)

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 heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Sangha Trinational Forest; Forest Massif of Odzala-Kokoua

total World Heritage Sites

2 (natural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 August (1960)

National symbol(s)

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

Political parties and leaders

Alliance of the Presidential Majority or AMPAction 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 (vacant)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 and the Republic or PUR [Wilfrid NGUESSO]Patriotic Union for Democracy and Progress or UPDP [Auguste-Celestin GONGARD NKOUA]Perspectives and Realities Club or CPR [Aimé Hydevert MOUAGNI]Rally for Democracy and Social Progress or RDPS [Jean-Pierre Thystère TCHICAYA]Republican and Liberal Party or PRL [Bonaventure MIZIDY]Union of Democratic Forces or UDF [Josué Rodrigue NGOUONIMBA]Union for Democracy and Republic or UDR [Guy Kinfoussia ROMAIN]Union for the Republic or UR [Michel Bidimbou POUELA]

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

$2.628 billion (2018 est.)

revenues

$3.399 billion (2018 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

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

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

CCC (2019)

Moody's rating

Caa2 (2018)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

CCC+ (2020)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$3.596 billion (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2019

$1.632 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

$1.441 billion (2020 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

primarily an oil- and natural resources-based economy; recovery from mid-2010s oil devaluation has been slow and curtailed by COVID-19; extreme poverty increasing, particularly in southern rural regions; attempting to implement recommended CEMAC reforms; increasing likelihood of debt default

Exchange rates

Currency

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

Exchange rates 2017

580.657 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

555.446 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

585.911 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

575.586 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

554.531 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$7.855 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$4.67 billion (2020 est.)

note

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - commodities

copper, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, lumber, tin (2021)

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 2019

$4.945 billion (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$3.279 billion (2020 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

-7.91% (2021 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

2.21% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

1.8% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

1.72% (2021 est.)

Labor force

2.268 million (2021 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) 2019

$20.584 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$19.3 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$18.875 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

-0.09% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-6.24% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

-2.2% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$3,700 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$3,400 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$3,200 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$379.984 million (31 December 2017 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2018

$423.617 million (31 December 2018 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$988.316 million (31 December 2019 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

8.95% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

20.62% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

22.84% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

23.01% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

42.5%

male

42.2%

total

42.3% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

2.747 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

1.777 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

4.523 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

2,065,580,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

44 million kWh (2019 est.)

imports

23 million kWh (2019 est.)

installed generating capacity

629,000 kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.623 billion kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

12.3% (2021)

electrification - total population

49.6% (2021)

electrification - urban areas

66.9% (2021)

population without electricity

3 million (2020)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

70.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

29.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

16.156 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

1.4 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

1.4 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves

283.989 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

331,700 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

2.882 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

12,600 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

270,900 bbl/day (2021 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

0.02 (2020 est.)

total

1,000 (2020 est.)

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

32.1% (2021 est.)

total

1,794,390 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line infrastructure inadequate, providing less than 1 fixed-line connection per 100 persons; mobile-cellular 97 per 100 persons (2021)

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 West Africa Cable System (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)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2020 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions

17,000 (2020 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

97 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

5,558,658 (2021 est.)

Airports

27 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

8

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

19

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

TN

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 1, oil tanker 1, other 9

total

11 (2022)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

4.6 million (2018) mt-km

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 (Oubangui) Ouesso (Sangha) Oyo (Alima)

oil terminal(s)

Djeno

river port(s)

Brazzaville (Congo)

Railways

narrow gauge

510 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge

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 (2011) (commercially navigable on Congo and Oubangui 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)

Military - note

the FAC is viewed as having limited capabilities due to obsolescent and poorly maintained equipment and low levels of training; its primary focus is 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 (2023)

Military and security forces

Congolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Congolaises, FAC): Army, Navy, Congolese Air Force, Gendarmerie (2023)

note

note: the Gendarmerie is a paramilitary force with domestic law enforcement and security responsibilities; it is under the Ministry of Defense, but also reports to the Ministry of Interior; the Ministry of Interior also controls the National Police

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 12,000 active-duty troops (including 2,000 Gendarmerie) (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the FAC has mostly Soviet-era armaments, with a small mix of French and South African equipment (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2018

2.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

2.3% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

3.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

2.5% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.8% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription ended in 1969 (2022)

Disputes - international

Republic of the Congo-Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC): the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River is indefinite except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

27,000 (multiple civil wars since 1992) (2022)

refugees (country of origin)

33,585 (Central African Republic), 28,396 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers)(2023)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List — The Republic of the Congo does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; the government trained law enforcement officials on the anti-trafficking law and issued six decrees to protect Indigenous People from trafficking; however, officials did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts, compared with the previous reporting period, on its anti-trafficking capacity; no investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of traffickers occurred; no reports identified victims for the third consecutive year; the government did not take any proactive measures to address alleged official complicity in trafficking, and the lack of a national anti-trafficking task force hindered overall efforts; therefore, the Republic of the Congo was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List (2023)

trafficking profile

human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in the Republic of the Congo, and victims from the Republic of the Congo are exploited abroad; forced labor of adults and children is the primary type of trafficking, predominantly in the agricultural sector; most victims originate from Benin and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and to a lesser extent from Gabon and other neighboring countries; children, primarily from West Africa, are exploited in domestic servitude in cities; fraudulent employment agents in Benin, the Central African Republic, the DRC, and Gabon recruit victims who are exploited in the Republic of the Congo; foreign business owners and Congolese exploit most foreign victims in forced domestic service, market vending, and the fishing sector; some hotel owners and criminals exploit adults and children, mostly from the DRC, in sex trafficking; some parents, mostly in West African countries, send their children to the Republic of the Congo expecting the child will send remittances or receive an education, but traffickers exploit the children in sex trafficking or forced labor; internal trafficking primarily involves recruitment from remote rural areas for exploitation in cities; refugees and Indigenous Populations are particularly vulnerable; traffickers, including some from the majority Bantu community, exploit Indigenous people in forced agricultural labor; the majority of internal victims are from the Indigenous population (2023)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

3.28 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

2.24 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

29.48 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 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 floods - above average rainfall amounts since November 2022 triggered flooding in December 2022 and January 2023 in central and northern parts of the country, displacing people; according to damage assessment reports, about 165,000 people have been affected in 23 districts in the departments of Cuvette, Likouala, Plateaux and Sangha (2023)

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 rivers (by length in km)

Oubangui (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

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

3.17% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

832 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

4 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

60 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

69.2% of total population (2023)

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.)