2020 Edition

Background

Bantu, Sudanic, and other migrants from West and Northeastern Africa arrived in the Congo River Basin between 2000 B.C. and A.D. 500. The territory that is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo has more than 200 ethnic groups that trace their histories to many communal organizations and kingdoms. The Kingdom of Kongo, for example, ruled the area around the mouth of the Congo River from the 14th to 19th centuries. Meanwhile, the Kingdoms of Luba and Lunda, located to the south and east, were also notable political groupings in the territory and ruled from the 16th and 17th centuries to the 19th century. European prospectors in the Congo Basin invaded and splintered these kingdoms in the late 1800’s, sponsored by King LEOPOLD II of Belgium, and the kingdoms were eventually forced to grant Leopold the rights to the Congo territory as his private property. During this period, known as the Congo Free State, the king's private colonial military forced the local population to produce rubber. From 1885 to 1908, millions of Congolese people died as a result of disease and inhumane treatment. International condemnation finally forced LEOPOLD to cede the land to the state of Belgium, creating the Belgian Congo. The Republic of the Congo gained its independence from Belgium in 1960, but its early years were marred by instability. Col. Joseph MOBUTU seized power and declared himself president in a 1965 coup. He subsequently changed his name to MOBUTU Sese Seko and the country's name to Zaire. MOBUTU retained his position for 32 years, using sham elections and brute force. In 1994, a massive inflow of refugees from conflict in neighboring Rwanda and Burundi sparked ethnic strife and civil war. A rebellion backed by Rwanda and Uganda and fronted by Laurent KABILA toppled the MOBUTU regime in 1997. KABILA renamed the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In 1998, another insurrection -- again backed by Rwanda and Uganda -- challenged the KABILA regime, but troops from Angola, Chad, Namibia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe helped quell the uprising. In 2001, KABILA was assassinated, and his son, Joseph KABILA, was named head of state. In 2002, the new president negotiated the withdrawal of Rwandan forces occupying the eastern DRC; the remaining warring parties subsequently signed the Pretoria Accord to end the fighting and establish a government of national unity. KABILA was elected as president in 2006 and 2011. The DRC constitution barred him from running for a third term, so in 2016, the DRC Government delayed national elections for two years. This fueled significant civil and political unrest, with sporadic street protests and exacerbation of tensions in the eastern DRC regions.  The results of the 2018 elections were disputed, but opposition candidate Felix TSHISEKEDI, son of long-time opposition leader Etienne TSHISEKEDI, was announced as the election winner. This was the first transfer of power to an opposition candidate without significant violence or a coup since 1960. In 2023, the DRC held its fourth electoral cycle since independence; TSHISEKEDI was proclaimed the winner despite some allegations of fraud, with his Sacred Union alliance retaining a large parliamentary majority.  The DRC continues to experience violence -- particularly in the East -- perpetrated by more than 100 armed groups active in the region, including the March 23 (M23) rebel group, the ISIS-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF, or ISIS-DRC), the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), and assorted local militias known as Mai Mai militias. The UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) has operated in the region since 1999 and is the largest and most expensive UN peacekeeping mission in the world.

Area

land

2,267,048 sq km

total

2,344,858 sq km

water

77,810 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US

Climate

tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north of Equator - wet season (April to October), dry season (December to February); south of Equator - wet season (November to March), dry season (April to October)

Coastline

37 km

Elevation

highest point

Pic Marguerite on Mont Ngaliema (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

726 m

Geographic coordinates

0 00 N, 25 00 E

Geography - note

note 1: second-largest country in Africa (after Algeria) and largest country in sub-Saharan Africa; straddles the equator; dense tropical rainforest in central river basin and eastern highlands; the narrow strip of land that controls the lower Congo River is the DRC's only outlet to the South Atlantic Ocean note 2: the Congo River, most of which flows through the DRC, has never been accurately measured along much of its length because of its speed, cataracts, rapids, and turbulence; nonetheless, it is conceded to be the deepest river in the world, with estimates of the point of greatest depth varying between 220 and 250 meters

Irrigated land

110 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Angola 2,646 km (of which 225 km is the boundary of Angola's discontiguous Cabinda Province); Burundi 236 km; Central African Republic 1,747 km; Republic of the Congo 1,775 km; Rwanda 221 km; South Sudan 714 km; Tanzania 479 km; Uganda 877 km; Zambia 2,332 km

total

11,027 km

Land use

agricultural land

15.5% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 6.6% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.9% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 8% (2023 est.)

forest

61.6% (2023 est.)

other

22.9% (2023 est.)

Location

Central Africa, northeast of Angola

Major aquifers

Congo Basin

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Lake Tanganyika (shared with Burundi, Tanzania, and Zambia) - 32,000 sq km; Lake Albert (shared with Uganda) - 5,590 sq km; Lake Mweru (shared with Zambia) - 4,350 sq km; Lac Mai-Ndombe - 2,300 sq km; Lake Kivu (shared with Rwanda) - 2,220 sq km; Lake Edward (shared with Uganda) - 2,150 sq km; Lac Tumba - 500 sq km; Lac Upemba - 530 sq km

Major rivers (by length in km)

Zaïre (Congo) river mouth (shared with Zambia [s], Angola, and Republic of Congo) - 2,920 km; Ubangi river mouth (shared with Central African Republic [s] and Republic of Congo) - 2,270 km note: [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), (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)

Indian Ocean drainage

Zambezi (1,332,412 sq km)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

since 2011, the DRC has had a Common Interest Zone agreement with Angola for the mutual development of off-shore resources

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

periodic droughts in south; Congo River floods (seasonal); active volcanoes in the east along the Great Rift Valley volcanism: the active volcano Nyiragongo (3,470 m) poses a major threat to the city of Goma, home to a quarter of a million people; it produces unusually fast-moving lava, known to travel up to 100 km/hr; Nyiragongo has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; its neighbor Nyamuragira is Africa's most active volcano; Visoke is the only other historically active volcano

Natural resources

cobalt, copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, hydropower, timber

Population distribution

urban clusters are spread throughout the country, particularly in the northeast along the border with Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi; the largest city is the capital, Kinshasha, located in the west along the Congo River; the south is least densely populated, as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east

Age structure

0-14 years

45.7% (male 26,584,268/female 26,208,891)

15-64 years

51.8% (male 29,845,450/female 29,884,958)

65 years and over

2.5% (2024 est.) (male 1,258,442/female 1,621,018)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0.5 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0.56 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

38.8 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

5.6% (2018)

women married by age 15

8.4% (2018)

women married by age 18

29.1% (2018)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

25% (2023 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

58.2% (2018 est.)

Death rate

7.37 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

4.8 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

20.8 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

92.1 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

87.3 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 13.8% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 35.1% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 59.3% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 86.2% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 64.9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 40.7% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

2.8% of GDP (2022 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

13.5% national budget (2017 est.)

Ethnic groups

more than 200 African ethnic groups of which the majority are Bantu; the four largest groups - Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu), and the Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) - make up about 45% of the population

Gross reproduction rate

2.67 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

3.8% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

4% of national budget (2022 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

51.9 deaths/1,000 live births

male

62.9 deaths/1,000 live births

total

55.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Languages

French (official), Lingala (a trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba

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

64.6 years

male

60.7 years

total population

62.6 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

61.6% (2018 est.)

male

87.5% (2018 est.)

total population

73.6% (2018 est.)

Major urban areas - population

16.316 million KINSHASA (capital), 2.892 million Mbuji-Mayi, 2.812 million Lubumbashi, 1.664 million Kananga, 1.423 million Kisangani, 1.249 million Bukavu (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

427 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

17 years

male

16.7 years

total

16.9 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.9 years (2013/14 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Congolese or Congo

noun

Congolese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

-0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

6.7% (2016)

Physician density

0.21 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Population

female

59,529,749

male

59,509,076

total

119,038,825 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

3.09% (2025 est.)

Religions

Christian 93/1% (Roman Catholic 29.9%, Protestant 26.7%, other Christian 36.5%), Kimbanguist 2.8%, Muslim 1.3%, other (includes syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs) 1.2%, none 1.3%, unspecified 0.2% (2014 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 20.5% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 33.7% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 48.8% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 79.5% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 66.3% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 51.2% of population (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.78 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

2.3% (2025 est.)

male

18.8% (2025 est.)

total

10.4% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.42 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

4.33% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

47.4% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

26 provinces; Bas-Uele (Lower Uele), Equateur, Haut-Katanga (Upper Katanga), Haut-Lomami (Upper Lomami), Haut-Uele (Upper Uele), Ituri, Kasai, Kasai-Central, Kasai-Oriental (East Kasai), Kinshasa, Kongo Central, Kwango, Kwilu, Lomami, Lualaba, Mai-Ndombe, Maniema, Mongala, Nord-Kivu (North Kivu), Nord-Ubangi (North Ubangi), Sankuru, Sud-Kivu (South Kivu), Sud-Ubangi (South Ubangi), Tanganyika, Tshopo, Tshuapa

Capital

etymology

founded as a trading post in 1881 and named Leopoldville in honor of King LEOPOLD II of the Belgians; in 1966, Leopoldville was renamed Kinshasa, a Bantu name of unknown meaning

geographic coordinates

4 19 S, 15 18 E

name

Kinshasa

time difference

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

time zone note

the DRC has two time zones

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

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

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

amendment process

proposed by the president of the republic, by the government, by either house of Parliament, or by public petition; agreement on the substance of a proposed bill requires absolute majority vote in both houses; passage requires a referendum only if both houses in joint meeting fail to achieve three-fifths majority vote; constitutional articles, including the form of government, universal suffrage, judicial independence, political pluralism, and personal freedoms, cannot be amended

history

several previous; latest adopted 13 May 2005, approved by referendum 18-19 December 2005, promulgated 18 February 2006

Country name

abbreviation

DRC (or DROC)

conventional long form

Democratic Republic of the Congo

conventional short form

DRC

etymology

named for the Congo River, most of which lies within the DRC; the river name derives from Kongo, a Bantu kingdom in the area

former

Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo/Leopoldville, Congo/Kinshasa, Zaire

local long form

République démocratique du Congo

local short form

RDC

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Susan TULLER (since January 2026)

email address and website

ACSKinshasa@state.gov https://cd.usembassy.gov/

embassy

310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa, Gombe

FAX

[243] 81 556-0175

mailing address

2220 Kinshasa Place, Washington DC 20521-2220

telephone

[243] 081 556-0151

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1100 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 725, Washington DC 20036

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Michael SHAKU YUMI (since 1 August 2024)

email address and website

ambassade@ambardcusa.org https://www.ambardcusa.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 234-2609

representative office

New York

telephone

[1] (202) 234-7690

Executive branch

cabinet

Ministers of State appointed by the president

chief of state

President Felix TSHISEKEDI (since 20 January 2024)

election results

2023: Felix TSHISEKEDI reelected president; percent of vote - Felix TSHISEKEDI (UDPS) 73.3%, Moise KATUMBI (Ensemble) 18.8%, Martin FAYULU (ECIDE) 5.3%, other 2.6% 2018: Felix TSHISEKEDI elected president; percent of vote - Felix TSHISEKEDI (UDPS) 38.6%, Martin FAYULU (Lamuka coalition) 34.8%, Emmanuel Ramazani SHADARY (PPRD) 23.9%, other 2.7%

election/appointment process

president directly elected by simple majority vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president

expected date of next election

20 December 2028

head of government

Prime Minister Judith SUMINWA Tuluka (since 29 May 2024)

most recent election date

20 December 2023

Flag

description: sky-blue field divided diagonally from the lower-left corner to the upper-right corner by a red stripe bordered with two narrow yellow stripes; a five-pointed yellow star is in the upper-left corner meaning: blue stands for peace and hope, red for the blood of the country's martyrs, and yellow for the country's wealth and prosperity; the star symbolizes unity and a brilliant future for the country

Government type

semi-presidential republic

Independence

30 June 1960 (from Belgium)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, CEMAC, CEPGL, COMESA, EAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LCBC (observer), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (consists of 26 justices and organized into legislative and judiciary sections); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)

judge selection and term of office

Court of Cassation judges nominated by the Judicial Service Council, an independent body of public prosecutors and selected judges of the lower courts; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges - 3 nominated by the president, 3 by the Judicial Service Council, and 3 by the legislature; judges appointed by the president to serve 9-year non-renewable terms with one third of the membership renewed every 3 years

subordinate courts

State Security Court; Court of Appeals (organized into administrative and judiciary sections); Tribunal de Grande Instance; magistrates' courts; customary courts

Legal system

civil law system primarily based on Belgian law, but also customary and tribal law

Legislative branch

legislative structure

bicameral

legislature name

Parlement (Parliament)

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

National Assembly (Assemblée nationale)

electoral system

mixed system

expected date of next election

December 2028

most recent election date

4/29/2024 to 5/26/2024

number of seats

500 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Union for Democracy and Social Progress/TSHISEKEDI (UDPS/TSHISEKEDI) (69); Action of Allies and Union for the Congolese Nation (A/A-UNC) (35); Alliance of Democratic Forces of Congo and Allies (AFDC-A) (35); Act and Build (AB) (26); Action of Allies/All for the Development of the Congo (2A/TDC) (21); Alliance of Stakeholders for the People (AAAP) (21); Alliance Bloc 50 (A/B50) (20); Congo Liberation Movement (MLC) (19); Other (131)

percentage of women in chamber

12.8%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

Senate (Sénat)

expected date of next election

April 2029

most recent election date

12/20/2023

number of seats

109 (all indirectly elected)

percentage of women in chamber

15.8%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 1960; replaced when the country was known as Zaire, but readopted in 1997

lyrics/music

Joseph LUTUMBA/Simon-Pierre BOKA di Mpasi Londi

title

"Debout Congolaise" (Arise, Congolese)

National color(s)

sky blue, red, yellow

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Garamba National Park; Kahuzi-Biega National Park; Okapi Wildlife Reserve; Salonga National Park; Virunga National Park

total World Heritage Sites

5 (all natural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 30 June (1960)

National symbol(s)

leopard

Political parties

Christian Democrat Party or PDC  Congolese Rally for Democracy or RCD  Convention of Christian Democrats or CDC  Engagement for Citizenship and Development or ECIDE  Forces of Renewal or FR  Movement for the Liberation of the Congo or MLC  Nouvel Elan  Our Congo or CNB ("Congo Na Biso")  People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy or PPRD  Social Movement for Renewal or MSR  Together for Change ("Ensemble")  Unified Lumumbist Party or PALU Union for the Congolese Nation or UNC  Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agricultural products

cassava, plantains, sugarcane, maize, oil palm fruit, rice, root vegetables, bananas, sweet potatoes, groundnuts (2023)

Budget

expenditures

$13.026 billion (2022 est.)

revenues

$11.568 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2021

-$587.407 million (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$3.148 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$3.883 billion (2023 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

$7.926 billion (2023 est.)

Economic overview

very poor, large, natural resource-rich sub-Saharan country; possesses the world’s second largest rainforest; increasing Chinese extractive sector trade; massive decrease in government investments; increasing current account deficit and public debts

Exchange rates

Currency

Congolese francs (CDF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

1,647.76 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

1,851.122 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

1,989.391 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

2,006.708 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

2,340.036 (2023 est.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$22.354 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$28.753 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$29.65 billion (2023 est.)

Exports - commodities

refined copper, cobalt, copper ore, raw copper, crude petroleum (2023)

Exports - partners

China 69%, UAE 7%, India 3%, Spain 3%, Egypt 3% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

46.6% (2024 est.)

government consumption

8.1% (2024 est.)

household consumption

62.7% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

-50.9% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

32.9% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories

0.5% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

17.1% (2024 est.)

industry

46.6% (2024 est.)

services

33% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$70.749 billion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2020

44.7 (2020 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

35.7% (2020 est.)

lowest 10%

2.1% (2020 est.)

Imports

Imports 2021

$22.193 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$31.699 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$33.68 billion (2023 est.)

Imports - commodities

trucks, refined petroleum, stone processing machines, plastic products, sulphur (2023)

Imports - partners

China 35%, Zambia 12%, South Africa 12%, India 5%, Belgium 4% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

10.1% (2024 est.)

Industries

mining (copper, cobalt, gold, diamonds, coltan, zinc, tin, tungsten), mineral processing, consumer products (textiles, plastics, footwear, cigarettes), metal products, processed foods and beverages, timber, cement, commercial ship repair

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2015

0.7% (2015 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

2.9% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

41.5% (2017 est.)

Labor force

38.546 million (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

56.2% (2020 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2022

16% of GDP (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$141.867 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$154.081 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$164.367 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

8.9% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

8.6% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

6.7% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$1,400 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$1,500 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$1,500 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2021

2.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

5% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

4.9% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$3.467 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$4.378 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$5.104 billion (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

11.4% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

4.6% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

4.5% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

4.6% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

6.6% (2024 est.)

male

10.8% (2024 est.)

total

8.5% (2024 est.)

Coal

consumption

304,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

304,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves

987.999 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

16.069 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports

62 million kWh (2023 est.)

imports

1.473 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

3.229 million kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.242 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

1%

electrification - total population

21.5% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

45.3%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

86% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

13.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

1.305 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

380,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

production

380,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves

991.09 million cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

180 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

35,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

19,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2022 est.) less than 1

total

33,000 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

state-owned TV station with near-national coverage; more than a dozen privately owned TV stations, including 2 with near-national coverage; 2 state-owned radio stations and over 100 private radio stations; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available

Internet country code

.cd

Internet users

percent of population

31% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2023 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions

(2023 est.) Currently, operators holding fixed-line telephone licenses do not have an operational distribution network, which explains the low number of customers.

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

53 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

56.3 million (2023 est.)

Airports

273 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

9Q

Heliports

1 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 5, oil tanker 2, other 17

total

24 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Banana, Boma, Matadi

large

0

medium

0

ports with oil terminals

2

small

2

total ports

3 (2024)

very small

1

Railways

narrow gauge

3,882 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified)

total

4,007 km (2014)

Military - note

the FARDC’s primary focus is internal security and conducting operations against rebels and other illegal armed groups (IOGs) operating in the DRC, particularly in the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, where more than 15 significant and cohesive IOGs operate; there is also IOG-related violence in Maniema, Kasai, Kasai Central, and Tanganyika provinces; some estimates place over 100 IOGs operating in the country, including organized militias, such as the Nduma Defense of Congo-Renewal (NDC-R), which controls a large portion of North Kivu; Mai Mai groups (local militias that operate variously as self-defense networks and criminal rackets); and foreign-origin groups seeking safe haven and resources, such as the Ugandan-origin Allied Democratic Forces (ADF; aka Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in the DRC), the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), multiple groups originating from Burundi, the Lords Resistance Army (LRA), and the March 23 Movement (aka M23 or Congolese Revolutionary Army), which Rwanda has been accused of supporting militarily; the FARDC incorporates some non-state armed groups and has been accused of collaborating with some IOGs, such as the NDC-R the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has operated in the central and eastern parts of the country since 1999; its mandate had been extended to the end of 2026; MONUSCO includes a Force Intervention Brigade (FIB), the first ever UN peacekeeping force specifically tasked to carry out targeted offensive operations to neutralize and disarm groups considered a threat to state authority and civilian security (2025)

Military and security forces

Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Forces d'Armees de la Republique Democratique du Congo, FARDC): Land Forces (Forces Terrestres), National Navy (La Marine Nationale), Congolese Air Force (Force Aerienne Congolaise, FAC); Republican Guard (Garde Républicaine, GR) Ministry of Interior: Congolese National Police (Police Nationale Congolaise, PNC) (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

estimated 100-150,000 active FARDC (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the FARDC is equipped mostly with Soviet-era and older French armaments; in recent years, it has received some more modern equipment, such as armored vehicles and armed drones, from China, South Africa, Turkey, and the UAE (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

0.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

0.7% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.7% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

1.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

1.2% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-35 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 18-45 years of age for compulsory military service for men; it is unclear how much conscription is used (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

6,895,648 (2024 est.)

refugees

518,445 (2024 est.)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List — the Democratic Republic of the Congo did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period and was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/democratic-republic-of-the-congo/

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham – Democratic Republic of the Congo (ISIS-DRC)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

731,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

5.152 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

5.883 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

poaching; water pollution; deforestation from agriculture and wood used for fuel; soil erosion; damage from mining

International environmental agreements

party to

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

signed, but not ratified

Environmental Modification

Methane emissions

agriculture

567.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)

energy

780.6 kt (2022-2024 est.)

other

214.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste

499.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

33.7 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

1.283 trillion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

71.9 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

146.8 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

464.9 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

14.385 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

6.4% (2022 est.)