DRC
DRC⌘K
Overview
- 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.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 2,267,048 sq km
- Water
- 77,810 sq km
- Total
- 2,344,858 sq km
- 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)
- Terrain
- vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east
Land Use
- Other
- 22.9% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 61.6% (2023 est.)
- 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.)
- Location
- Central Africa, northeast of Angola
- Coastline
- 37 km
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Atlantic Ocean 0 m
- Highest point
- Pic Marguerite on Mont Ngaliema (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m
- Mean elevation
- 726 m
- Irrigated land
- 110 sq km (2012)
- Major aquifers
- Congo Basin
- Map references
- Africa
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 11,027 km
- 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
Maritime Claims
- Territorial sea
- 12 nm
- Exclusive economic zone
- since 2011, the DRC has had a Common Interest Zone agreement with Angola for the mutual development of off-shore resources
- 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 - 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 - Natural resources
- cobalt, copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, hydropower, timber
- Area comparative
- slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US
- Geographic coordinates
- 0 00 N, 25 00 E
- 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
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 Watersheds (Area Sq Km)
- Indian ocean drainage
- Zambezi (1,332,412 sq km)
- Atlantic ocean drainage
- Congo (3,730,881 sq km), (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 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
People & Society
Literacy
- Male
- 87.5% (2018 est.)
- Female
- 61.6% (2018 est.)
- Total population
- 73.6% (2018 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.
- 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.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 1 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.78 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 38.8 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 7.37 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 16.7 years
- Total
- 16.9 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 17 years
Population
- Male
- 59,509,076
- Total
- 119,038,825 (2025 est.)
- Female
- 59,529,749
Nationality
- Noun
- Congolese (singular and plural)
- Adjective
- Congolese or Congo
Tobacco Use
- Male
- 18.8% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 10.4% (2025 est.)
- Female
- 2.3% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 47.4% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 4.33% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
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)
- 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
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)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 92.1 (2025 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 87.3 (2025 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 20.8 (2025 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 4.8 (2025 est.)
- Physician density
- 0.21 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 3.8% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 4% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 5.42 children born/woman (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.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 62.9 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 55.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 51.9 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 3.09% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 2.67 (2025 est.)
- 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
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 60.7 years
- Female
- 64.6 years
- Total population
- 62.6 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 427 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 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.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 0.5 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 0.56 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 0.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 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)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 6.7% (2016)
- Mother's mean age at first birth
- 19.9 years (2013/14 est.)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 58.2% (2018 est.)
- Children under the age of 5 years underweight
- 25% (2023 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- 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
Capital
- Name
- Kinshasa
- 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
- Time zone note
- the DRC has two time zones
- Time difference
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Geographic coordinates
- 4 19 S, 15 18 E
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
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
- History
- several previous; latest adopted 13 May 2005, approved by referendum 18-19 December 2005, promulgated 18 February 2006
- 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
Country Name
- Former
- Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo/Leopoldville, Congo/Kinshasa, Zaire
- 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
- Abbreviation
- DRC (or DROC)
- Local long form
- République démocratique du Congo
- Local short form
- RDC
- Conventional long form
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Conventional short form
- DRC
- Independence
- 30 June 1960 (from Belgium)
- Legal system
- civil law system primarily based on Belgian law, but also customary and tribal law
- Government type
- semi-presidential republic
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)
- Subordinate courts
- State Security Court; Court of Appeals (organized into administrative and judiciary sections); Tribunal de Grande Instance; magistrates' courts; customary courts
- 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
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%- Head of government
- Prime Minister Judith SUMINWA Tuluka (since 29 May 2024)
- Most recent election date
- 20 December 2023
- 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
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 30 June (1960)
- National color(s)
- sky blue, red, yellow
National Heritage
- Total world heritage sites
- 5 (all natural)
- Selected world heritage site locales
- Garamba National Park; Kahuzi-Biega National Park; Okapi Wildlife Reserve; Salonga National Park; Virunga National Park
- 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
Legislative Branch
- Legislature name
- Parlement (Parliament)
- Legislative structure
- bicameral
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "Debout Congolaise" (Arise, Congolese)
- 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
- National symbol(s)
- leopard
- 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
Legislative Branch Lower Chamber
- Chamber name
- National Assembly (Assemblée nationale)
- Term in office
- 5 years
- Number of seats
- 500 (all directly elected)
- Electoral system
- mixed system
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Most recent election date
- 4/29/2024 to 5/26/2024
- Expected date of next election
- December 2028
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 12.8%
- 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)
Legislative Branch Upper Chamber
- Chamber name
- Senate (Sénat)
- Term in office
- 5 years
- Number of seats
- 109 (all indirectly elected)
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Most recent election date
- 12/20/2023
- Expected date of next election
- April 2029
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 15.8%
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 234-2609
- Chancery
- 1100 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 725, Washington DC 20036
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 234-7690
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Michael SHAKU YUMI (since 1 August 2024)
- Representative office
- New York
- Email address and website
ambassade@ambardcusa.org
https://www.ambardcusa.org/
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Fax
- [243] 81 556-0175
- Embassy
- 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa, Gombe
- Telephone
- [243] 081 556-0151
- Mailing address
- 2220 Kinshasa Place, Washington DC 20521-2220
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Susan TULLER (since January 2026)
- Email address and website
ACSKinshasa@state.gov
https://cd.usembassy.gov/
- International organisations
- 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
- International law organization participation
- accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Legislature
DRC · LOWER HOUSE
National Assembly
500 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
500
Majority line
251
Largest party
People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy
Parties
26
All political parties
Upper house
DRC · UPPER HOUSE
Senate
109 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
109
Majority line
56
Largest party
People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy
Parties
26
All political parties
Leaders
Current
Félix Tshisekedi
- Head of State
Ilunga Ilunkamba Sylvestre
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Note
- note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
- Revenues
- $11.568 billion (2022 est.)
- Expenditures
- $13.026 billion (2022 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $34.6B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2021
- $22.354 billion (2021 est.)
- Exports 2022
- $28.753 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $29.65 billion (2023 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $36.8B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2021
- $22.193 billion (2021 est.)
- Imports 2022
- $31.699 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $33.68 billion (2023 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
- Labor force
- 38.546 million (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 14.9%
- Note
- note: central government debt as a % of GDP
- Public debt 2022
- 16% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2021
- 2.4% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Remittances 2022
- 5% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 4.9% of GDP (2023 est.)
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.)
Debt External
- Note
- note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
- 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
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 4.4%
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 4.6% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 4.5% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 4.6% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- China 69%, UAE 7%, India 3%, Spain 3%, Egypt 3% (2023)
- Imports partners
- China 35%, Zambia 12%, South Africa 12%, India 5%, Belgium 4% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $1,821
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- 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.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 6.1%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- 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.)
- Agricultural products
- cassava, plantains, sugarcane, maize, oil palm fruit, rice, root vegetables, bananas, sweet potatoes, groundnuts (2023)
- Exports commodities
- refined copper, cobalt, copper ore, raw copper, crude petroleum (2023)
- Imports commodities
- trucks, refined petroleum, stone processing machines, plastic products, sulphur (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- -$2.7B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- 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.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 11.4% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $70.749 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Household consumption
- 62.7% (2024 est.)
- Government consumption
- 8.1% (2024 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- 0.5% (2024 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 32.9% (2024 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 46.6% (2024 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -50.9% (2024 est.)
- Population below poverty line
- 56.2% (2020 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 41.5% (2017 est.)
- Note
- note: annual % change based on 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.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- 10.1% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $164.367 billion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- 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.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 10.8% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 8.5% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 6.6% (2024 est.)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
- Note
- note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
- 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.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 46.6% (2024 est.)
- Services
- 33% (2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 17.1% (2024 est.)
Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share
- Note
- note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
- Lowest 10%
- 2.1% (2020 est.)
- Highest 10%
- 35.7% (2020 est.)
Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income
- Note
- note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
- Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2020
- 44.7 (2020 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Imports
- 304,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 304,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 987.999 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Total petroleum production
- 19,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Crude oil estimated reserves
- 180 million barrels (2021 est.)
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 35,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Electricity
- Exports
- 62 million kWh (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 1.473 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 16.069 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 3.229 million kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 1.242 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Natural Gas
- Production
- 380,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
- Consumption
- 380,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 991.09 million cubic meters (2021 est.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification rural areas
- 1%
- Electrification urban areas
- 45.3%
- Electrification total population
- 21.5% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 1.305 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Solar
- 13.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Hydroelectricity
- 86% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Biomass and waste
- 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 31% (2023 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
Telephones Fixed Lines
- 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.
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- (2023 est.) less than 1
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 56.3 million (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 53 (2023 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 33,000 (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- (2022 est.) less than 1
Transport
Ports
- Large
- 0
- Small
- 2
- Medium
- 0
- Key ports
- Banana, Boma, Matadi
- Very small
- 1
- Total ports
- 3 (2024)
- Ports with oil terminals
- 2
- Airports
- 273 (2025)
Railways
- Note
- 125 1.000-mm gauge
- Total
- 4,007 km (2014)
- Narrow gauge
- 3,882 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified)
- Heliports
- 1 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 24 (2023)
- BY type
- general cargo 5, oil tanker 2, other 17
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- 9Q
Environment
- 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)
Land Use
- Other
- 22.9% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 61.6% (2023 est.)
- 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.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 47.4% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 4.33% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Methane Emissions
- Other
- 214.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Waste
- 499.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Energy
- 780.6 kt (2022-2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 567.3 kt (2019-2021 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.)
- Environmental issues
- poaching; water pollution; deforestation from agriculture and wood used for fuel; soil erosion; damage from mining
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 464.9 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Industrial
- 146.8 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Agricultural
- 71.9 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 5.883 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- 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.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 33.7 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 1.283 trillion cubic meters (2022 est.)
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
Military & Security
- 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 Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 1.2%
- 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 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 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)
- 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 and security service personnel strengths
- estimated 100-150,000 active FARDC (2025)
Terrorism
- Terrorist group(s)
- Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham – Democratic Republic of the Congo (ISIS-DRC)
Transnational Issues
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/
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Idps
- 6,895,648 (2024 est.)
- Refugees
- 518,445 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index15.0 / 100as of 2024-Q4173 / 1902024-Q4
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.13as of 2024-Q4126 / 1702024-Q4
Freedom House StatusNot Free (8/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Restricted press (35/100)as of 2024—2024
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — DRC — vintage 2026-Q1: DRC factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/drc
Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata