Country or area · Middle Africa · Africa · UN WPP 2024

Democratic Republic of the Congo population

Democratic Republic of the Congo population now

117,346,471

A projection read at this second, not a count: the UN's totals for 1 January 2026 and 2027, joined by a straight line. 95% range for 31 December 2026: 114.3–121.6 million.

Mid-2023, UN estimate: 105,789,732

Year: 2026; projection · medium
Population, mid-2026: 116.452 million; 95% range, 31 Dec: 114.3–121.6 million
Median age: 16.9
Aged 65+: 3.1%

Move through time, 1950–2100

2023 | 2024

male female projection · one cell = 50,000 people

How to read this: one row for each age, newborns at the bottom; men on the left, women on the right.

Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries

COD · 1950–2100 · in brief

Democratic Republic of the Congo in numbers

The Democratic Republic of the Congo had 105,789,732 people in mid-2023, the 15th-largest population of the 236 countries and areas the UN reports, and 1.3% of the world's people. That is 8.6 times its 1950 population of 12.3 million.

In the UN's medium projection it is still growing in 2100, when it reaches 431 million. The projection is uncertain: on 1 January 2100 the UN's 95% range runs from 230 million to 1.29 billion.

Births outnumber deaths in every year from 1950 to 2100, estimates and projection alike.

The median age was 18.1 in 1950 and 16.8 in 2023; the projection has 32.8 in 2100. 3.1% of people were 65 or older in 2023, against 10.9% projected for 2100. The working-age population (15–64) is still growing in 2100 in the medium projection.

Among countries it ranks 15th in 2023, 8th in 2050 and 5th in 2100. In the medium projection it overtakes the Philippines in 2027, Egypt in 2028 and Japan in 2028.

Population, mid-2023: 105,789,732
Rank by population, 2023: 15 of 236
Share of the world, 2023: 1.3%
Change in a year, mid-2022 to mid-2023: +3.31% · +3,392,764 people
People per km² of land, 2023: 47
Land area, 2023: 2,267,050 km²
Births, 2023: 4,369,683
Deaths, 2023: 901,851
Net migration, 2023: −14,992
Children per woman, 2023: 6.05
Median age, 2023: 16.8 years
Life expectancy at birth, 2023: 61.9 years
In a city, 2025: 49 of every 100
Population, mid-1950: 12,294,287
Projected, mid-2050: 218,246,072
Projected, mid-2100: 430,709,446

COD · 1950–2100 · total population

Population, 1950–2100

estimates | projections0250 m500 m750 m1 bn1.25 bn1.5 bn1950197520002025205020752100

estimate projection, up to the bottom of the 95% range 95% range medium projection. Every column stands for a single year, counted on 1 January, and the paper rules slice it into cells of equal size.

Show the numbers: Democratic Republic of the Congo, 1950–2100

Democratic Republic of the Congo: population on 1 January, births, deaths, fertility and life expectancy, 1950–2100
Year	Kind	Population, 1 Jan	95% range	Births	Deaths	Children per woman	Life expectancy
1950	estimate	12,174,049		563,665	327,302	5.97	38.2
1951	estimate	12,414,525		577,101	326,790	5.97	38.5
1952	estimate	12,670,763		590,023	326,949	5.97	38.9
1953	estimate	12,936,516		605,163	328,590	5.98	39.1
1954	estimate	13,202,384		618,028	331,077	5.98	39.4
1955	estimate	13,483,678		631,411	333,182	5.98	39.7
1956	estimate	13,777,024		645,839	336,212	5.99	39.9
1957	estimate	14,082,877		662,717	338,910	6.01	40.2
1958	estimate	14,401,680		680,372	343,173	6.04	40.5
1959	estimate	14,713,912		697,116	348,369	6.07	40.6
1960	estimate	15,069,251		718,406	354,892	6.11	40.8
1961	estimate	15,460,441		739,473	371,265	6.12	40.2
1962	estimate	15,864,308		761,301	377,897	6.14	40.4
1963	estimate	16,287,139		783,807	384,849	6.16	40.6
1964	estimate	16,728,058		808,176	401,839	6.19	40.1
1965	estimate	17,182,597		832,196	403,189	6.21	40.8
1966	estimate	17,673,006		858,732	395,330	6.24	42.2
1967	estimate	18,190,851		883,812	404,256	6.27	42.3
1968	estimate	18,734,713		908,873	411,203	6.29	42.7
1969	estimate	19,289,665		933,154	418,360	6.30	43.0
1970	estimate	19,851,225		957,902	424,595	6.33	43.3
1971	estimate	20,423,647		980,913	431,573	6.34	43.6
1972	estimate	20,967,490		1,001,904	437,415	6.37	43.9
1973	estimate	21,534,830		1,022,641	444,377	6.38	44.1
1974	estimate	22,120,500		1,045,063	451,522	6.40	44.3
1975	estimate	22,717,257		1,067,337	458,682	6.42	44.5
1976	estimate	23,324,944		1,090,982	466,841	6.44	44.7
1977	estimate	23,923,117		1,112,677	474,426	6.45	44.9
1978	estimate	24,535,006		1,135,606	489,218	6.46	44.6
1979	estimate	25,450,372		1,186,842	495,054	6.48	45.3
1980	estimate	26,323,192		1,231,233	507,105	6.50	45.5
1981	estimate	27,099,005		1,266,724	518,353	6.52	45.7
1982	estimate	27,902,025		1,303,813	528,994	6.54	46.0
1983	estimate	28,774,354		1,347,179	540,054	6.56	46.2
1984	estimate	29,727,571		1,396,607	551,629	6.59	46.5
1985	estimate	30,762,591		1,453,831	568,180	6.61	46.7
1986	estimate	31,767,041		1,504,905	579,571	6.63	47.0
1987	estimate	32,763,351		1,549,963	590,077	6.65	47.4
1988	estimate	33,834,457		1,595,209	599,936	6.66	47.8
1989	estimate	34,931,047		1,636,468	609,242	6.65	48.1
1990	estimate	36,042,685		1,681,955	618,471	6.65	48.5
1991	estimate	37,325,442		1,744,207	630,166	6.64	48.9
1992	estimate	38,526,193		1,793,265	640,510	6.64	49.3
1993	estimate	39,931,627		1,865,350	656,103	6.64	49.6
1994	estimate	41,381,046		1,932,742	673,191	6.64	49.9
1995	estimate	43,872,705		2,097,462	702,026	6.68	50.4
1996	estimate	44,994,704		2,128,873	748,401	6.67	49.4
1997	estimate	45,597,543		2,116,742	724,672	6.69	50.5
1998	estimate	46,462,261		2,125,496	750,382	6.70	49.7
1999	estimate	48,132,939		2,212,244	761,936	6.69	50.1
2000	estimate	49,693,003		2,287,896	738,367	6.70	51.9
2001	estimate	51,321,880		2,344,778	749,768	6.66	52.2
2002	estimate	52,943,412		2,395,052	763,464	6.61	52.4
2003	estimate	54,557,637		2,443,727	764,535	6.55	53.0
2004	estimate	56,130,097		2,495,424	764,415	6.53	53.5
2005	estimate	57,865,385		2,570,127	769,819	6.53	54.0
2006	estimate	59,686,064		2,665,465	776,058	6.55	54.5
2007	estimate	61,545,751		2,746,572	782,827	6.56	55.0
2008	estimate	63,409,753		2,833,867	789,712	6.58	55.4
2009	estimate	65,371,574		2,924,268	797,319	6.59	55.8
2010	estimate	67,452,514		3,011,258	799,042	6.59	56.4
2011	estimate	69,673,561		3,115,991	805,377	6.58	56.9
2012	estimate	72,025,062		3,219,513	814,063	6.56	57.4
2013	estimate	74,484,175		3,311,232	821,895	6.53	57.8
2014	estimate	77,094,615		3,410,957	830,672	6.48	58.2
2015	estimate	79,711,869		3,503,691	838,652	6.44	58.7
2016	estimate	82,359,193		3,599,622	845,922	6.39	59.1
2017	estimate	85,553,637		3,742,518	859,293	6.35	59.5
2018	estimate	88,613,159		3,861,913	868,697	6.30	59.9
2019	estimate	91,482,128		3,954,796	879,238	6.25	60.2
2020	estimate	94,412,756		4,049,813	893,708	6.21	60.4
2021	estimate	97,567,240		4,158,030	929,997	6.16	60.0
2022	estimate	100,730,624		4,262,077	914,409	6.11	61.0
2023	estimate	104,063,312		4,369,683	901,851	6.05	61.9
2024	estimate	107,516,151		4,467,740	920,541	5.98	62.1
2025	projection	111,036,378	109.7–112.2 million	4,559,718	940,228	5.90	62.2
2026	projection	114,628,568	112.0–116.9 million	4,634,979	958,937	5.80	62.4
2027	projection	118,275,755	114.3–121.6 million	4,715,179	977,104	5.71	62.6
2028	projection	121,983,737	116.5–126.2 million	4,802,947	995,917	5.62	62.7
2029	projection	125,759,362	118.9–131.3 million	4,875,684	1,014,347	5.51	62.9
2030	projection	129,588,918	121.2–136.1 million	4,954,791	1,033,274	5.42	63.0
2031	projection	133,475,484	123.2–141.3 million	5,028,912	1,052,243	5.32	63.2
2032	projection	137,419,507	125.3–146.6 million	5,084,138	1,070,962	5.20	63.4
2033	projection	141,397,718	127.4–152.1 million	5,153,883	1,089,210	5.09	63.5
2034	projection	145,430,343	129.7–157.4 million	5,219,842	1,108,609	4.99	63.7
2035	projection	149,505,928	131.7–162.9 million	5,266,778	1,127,285	4.87	63.8
2036	projection	153,614,277	133.8–169.4 million	5,334,715	1,147,806	4.77	64.0
2037	projection	157,764,633	136.0–175.3 million	5,370,090	1,167,075	4.64	64.1
2038	projection	161,932,518	138.0–181.7 million	5,446,326	1,185,951	4.55	64.3
2039	projection	166,158,701	140.6–188.5 million	5,518,613	1,207,417	4.46	64.4
2040	projection	170,434,688	142.6–195.2 million	5,593,911	1,229,201	4.38	64.5
2041	projection	174,756,476	144.9–202.3 million	5,665,214	1,250,199	4.29	64.7
2042	projection	179,136,049	146.9–210.0 million	5,738,924	1,272,913	4.21	64.8
2043	projection	183,564,761	149.0–216.4 million	5,816,604	1,296,447	4.14	65.0
2044	projection	188,045,567	151.4–224.3 million	5,889,608	1,319,792	4.06	65.1
2045	projection	192,578,436	153.6–232.0 million	5,956,604	1,343,549	3.99	65.3
2046	projection	197,152,322	155.8–240.5 million	6,030,087	1,369,006	3.92	65.4
2047	projection	201,776,647	157.6–248.4 million	6,093,589	1,392,468	3.85	65.5
2048	projection	206,435,207	159.5–257.2 million	6,161,478	1,418,546	3.79	65.7
2049	projection	211,132,180	161.4–266.9 million	6,223,928	1,444,612	3.72	65.8
2050	projection	215,863,204	163.6–276.0 million	6,282,533	1,470,683	3.66	66.0
2051	projection	220,628,940	166.2–285.8 million	6,339,028	1,498,096	3.60	66.1
2052	projection	225,426,974	167.2–295.0 million	6,393,693	1,524,975	3.54	66.2
2053	projection	230,247,053	170.0–306.4 million	6,437,980	1,552,639	3.48	66.3
2054	projection	235,082,781	172.4–317.0 million	6,479,087	1,581,049	3.43	66.5
2055	projection	239,933,750	174.9–328.1 million	6,518,670	1,610,541	3.37	66.6
2056	projection	244,788,685	176.8–340.1 million	6,551,173	1,640,996	3.32	66.7
2057	projection	249,646,864	178.4–350.8 million	6,584,011	1,673,010	3.27	66.8
2058	projection	254,505,958	180.1–364.7 million	6,625,651	1,705,840	3.23	67.0
2059	projection	259,374,761	182.7–378.0 million	6,661,989	1,739,412	3.19	67.1
2060	projection	264,246,434	184.3–390.5 million	6,691,105	1,773,932	3.14	67.2
2061	projection	269,111,833	185.4–404.2 million	6,716,180	1,809,338	3.10	67.3
2062	projection	273,967,566	187.0–417.3 million	6,740,204	1,845,861	3.06	67.5
2063	projection	278,805,132	188.1–430.1 million	6,758,729	1,885,186	3.02	67.5
2064	projection	283,624,158	189.2–444.7 million	6,774,848	1,924,906	2.98	67.7
2065	projection	288,415,945	190.4–460.3 million	6,791,483	1,963,591	2.94	67.8
2066	projection	293,189,683	191.7–473.5 million	6,813,044	2,003,732	2.90	67.9
2067	projection	297,943,043	194.0–489.4 million	6,833,357	2,044,911	2.87	68.0
2068	projection	302,671,007	196.0–505.3 million	6,848,272	2,087,795	2.83	68.1
2069	projection	307,377,716	198.0–521.9 million	6,866,094	2,131,124	2.80	68.3
2070	projection	312,056,832	199.8–538.4 million	6,873,815	2,174,962	2.77	68.4
2071	projection	316,707,788	201.3–554.6 million	6,891,969	2,221,040	2.74	68.5
2072	projection	321,308,259	202.1–571.7 million	6,901,750	2,266,546	2.71	68.6
2073	projection	325,885,839	203.1–592.0 million	6,914,828	2,314,190	2.68	68.8
2074	projection	330,416,954	204.5–608.7 million	6,919,358	2,362,992	2.65	68.9
2075	projection	334,920,913	205.4–626.4 million	6,932,663	2,413,703	2.62	69.0
2076	projection	339,377,058	206.9–647.4 million	6,942,969	2,463,869	2.60	69.1
2077	projection	343,806,854	208.7–670.4 million	6,959,693	2,515,987	2.57	69.2
2078	projection	348,188,805	210.9–692.1 million	6,962,682	2,567,368	2.55	69.3
2079	projection	352,524,751	211.5–712.2 million	6,973,689	2,620,366	2.52	69.5
2080	projection	356,803,113	212.3–733.2 million	6,977,073	2,674,019	2.50	69.6
2081	projection	361,038,181	214.6–757.6 million	6,981,541	2,729,608	2.48	69.7
2082	projection	365,216,963	215.2–780.6 million	6,992,845	2,785,437	2.46	69.8
2083	projection	369,355,769	216.2–804.9 million	7,002,163	2,843,106	2.44	69.9
2084	projection	373,454,348	217.1–830.6 million	7,006,946	2,901,582	2.42	70.0
2085	projection	377,498,419	218.5–855.1 million	7,005,899	2,962,845	2.40	70.1
2086	projection	381,468,963	219.1–882.3 million	6,994,081	3,023,584	2.38	70.3
2087	projection	385,379,454	221.9–911.5 million	6,981,807	3,084,618	2.36	70.4
2088	projection	389,211,985	222.8–934.8 million	6,981,572	3,147,244	2.34	70.5
2089	projection	392,977,687	223.3–967.3 million	6,963,502	3,210,035	2.32	70.6
2090	projection	396,673,088	224.7–996.8 million	6,949,505	3,273,267	2.30	70.7
2091	projection	400,288,753	0.22–1.02 billion	6,939,325	3,335,478	2.29	70.8
2092	projection	403,829,760	0.22–1.05 billion	6,924,415	3,400,355	2.27	70.9
2093	projection	407,279,249	0.23–1.08 billion	6,912,929	3,466,621	2.25	71.0
2094	projection	410,661,791	0.23–1.10 billion	6,907,837	3,531,084	2.24	71.2
2095	projection	413,982,254	0.23–1.14 billion	6,889,658	3,596,042	2.23	71.3
2096	projection	417,213,233	0.23–1.16 billion	6,875,387	3,662,838	2.21	71.4
2097	projection	420,349,853	0.23–1.19 billion	6,856,197	3,726,395	2.20	71.5
2098	projection	423,403,756	0.23–1.22 billion	6,844,756	3,791,920	2.19	71.7
2099	projection	426,392,562	0.23–1.25 billion	6,826,669	3,855,394	2.17	71.8
2100	projection	429,293,088	0.23–1.29 billion	6,813,098	3,917,828	2.16	71.9

Show the numbers: Democratic Republic of the Congo, mid-2026, by single year of age

Democratic Republic of the Congo: population by single year of age, mid-2026
Age	Male	Female
0	2,225,850	2,192,400
1	2,152,170	2,126,990
2	2,089,430	2,067,060
3	2,025,840	2,005,490
4	1,960,160	1,943,990
5	1,895,590	1,883,410
6	1,835,640	1,825,100
7	1,778,980	1,771,170
8	1,719,240	1,714,160
9	1,651,610	1,648,570
10	1,589,310	1,587,810
11	1,537,090	1,537,150
12	1,485,070	1,486,450
13	1,433,550	1,436,240
14	1,381,000	1,384,980
15	1,325,640	1,330,580
16	1,273,420	1,279,150
17	1,223,590	1,230,080
18	1,173,280	1,180,400
19	1,125,190	1,132,810
20	1,076,160	1,084,410
21	1,029,200	1,038,340
22	991,752	1,001,910
23	960,908	971,662
24	931,855	943,034
25	902,504	914,118
26	869,606	881,382
27	832,354	844,228
28	806,179	818,134
29	795,064	807,594
30	781,195	794,210
31	742,360	755,676
32	698,764	712,500
33	668,746	682,512
34	641,350	655,185
35	615,521	629,438
36	590,284	604,084
37	568,397	582,014
38	546,763	560,112
39	524,523	537,542
40	501,421	514,124
41	476,677	489,145
42	452,280	464,644
43	429,932	442,321
44	409,503	422,034
45	390,621	403,460
46	371,664	384,968
47	351,742	365,592
48	335,436	350,042
49	323,781	339,254
50	312,956	329,230
51	302,678	319,728
52	292,903	310,680
53	283,470	301,932
54	274,238	293,317
55	264,799	284,371
56	254,944	274,932
57	244,884	265,208
58	234,740	255,273
59	224,390	245,046
60	213,638	234,371
61	202,709	223,484
62	191,896	212,652
63	181,242	201,920
64	170,788	191,337
65	160,448	180,784
66	150,139	170,133
67	140,092	159,678
68	130,303	149,412
69	120,556	139,089
70	111,118	129,062
71	102,037	119,390
72	93,221	109,950
73	84,538	100,574
74	76,168	91,473
75	68,225	82,784
76	60,870	75,446
77	54,790	69,008
78	49,464	62,947
79	43,688	56,660
80	37,635	49,698
81	31,862	42,904
82	26,554	36,489
83	21,802	30,584
84	17,639	25,276
85	14,060	20,601
86	11,021	16,552
87	8,474	13,098
88	6,350	10,162
89	4,607	7,696
90	3,232	5,696
91	2,200	4,124
92	1,454	2,920
93	930	2,017
94	576	1,352
95	345	879
96	200	552
97	111	335
98	59	196
99	30	110
100+	24	121

COD · 1950–2100 · every age, every year

Democratic Republic of the Congo, every age in every year

Each column is a year and each row an age; the denser the ink in a cell, the more people. Everyone born in the same year climbs one 45° diagonal, so famines, baby booms and migration show up as streaks. Select a cell to follow its generation.

COD · ages 15–64

Who does the work in Democratic Republic of the Congo

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo the number of people aged 15–64 is still growing in 2100, the last year the UN projects. In 2023 there were 53,787,000 of them.

100 aged 15–64

91 children

6 aged 65+

aged 15–64 children under 15 aged 65 and over

How to read this: one orange square for each of 100 people aged 15–64 in 2023. Beneath them, teal for the children living alongside those 100 and violet for the people aged 65 or older.

At no point between 1950 and 2100 do fewer than 50 dependants live alongside every 100 people aged 15–64 here.

fewer than 50 dependants per 100 the same, projected 50 or more

How to read this: one stripe a year from 1950 to 2100. A stripe takes colour in a year when fewer than 50 dependants live alongside every 100 people of working age, and stays grey otherwise; hatching means the year is projected.

How every country compares

COD · arrivals minus departures

Who arrives in Democratic Republic of the Congo, and who leaves

In 2020–2025 the Democratic Republic of the Congo loses 27,211 people a year: everyone who arrives, minus everyone who leaves. The age at which that happens most is 20–24, at 8,646 a year more leaving than arriving.

one square = 1,000 people a year

020406080+

more arrive than leave more leave than arrive

How to read this: each column is one age, youngest on the left. Above the line, in blue, are the ages gaining people; below it, in orange, the ages losing them. This is the UN's projection for 2020–2025 — the record of migration by age does not go back beyond 2020.

Across the counted years, 1950 to 2023, its biggest single-year gain was 1,232,105 (1994); its biggest loss, 777,833 (1996).

In 2024, 1,085,090 people living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had been born in another country, 1 of every 100 people there, against 2 in 1990.

How migration works everywhere

COD · births by the mother's age · 1950–2100

Who has the babies in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Of every 100 babies born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2023, 14 had a mother under 20, 68 a mother aged 20 to 34 and 18 a mother aged 35 or older. In 1950 it was 17 under 20 and 15 aged 35 or older.

1950
17 · 68 · 15

2023
14 · 68 · 18

2050 · projected
11 · 69 · 20

The mother's age: under 20 20 to 34 35 or older projected

How to read this: shrink a year's babies to 100 and colour each one by the age of its mother — that is a block. Under it, the same three groups as numbers, starting with the youngest mothers.

Babies born, 2023: 4,369,683
Average age when women have a baby: 30.1 years; 29.0 in 1950
Babies a year per 1,000 girls aged 15–19: 107; 130 in 1950

Babies by the mother's age, 1950–2100

Babies born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the mother's age
Mother's age	1950	1975	2000	2023	2050 projected	2100 projected
10–14	9,251	20,752	32,008	30,056	18,655	4,097
15–19	84,769	152,340	314,016	587,857	661,979	318,272
20–24	158,458	256,582	528,219	1,113,183	1,464,314	1,089,469
25–29	129,343	236,138	506,069	1,031,451	1,548,578	1,773,446
30–34	94,813	197,708	445,287	806,764	1,323,531	1,897,183
35–39	47,711	122,636	291,428	521,098	833,628	1,210,456
40–44	31,210	65,696	140,382	228,344	356,460	447,174
45–49	7,654	14,713	29,089	48,582	72,249	70,899
50–54	456	772	1,398	2,348	3,139	2,102
All babies	563,665	1,067,337	2,287,896	4,369,683	6,282,533	6,813,098

The UN's births for each year, split by the mother's age in the UN's own proportions.

COD · healthy years · 2021

Years in good health in Democratic Republic of the Congo

A baby born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2021 could expect 61.6 years of life, 53.2 of them in full health (95% range 52.3–54.1). The years in less than full health come to 8.4, below the world's 9.5: shorter lives leave fewer years in which to be ill.

Women

54.3 in full health, 9.6 not: 63.9 years

Men

52.2 in full health, 7.2 not: 59.4 years

a year in full health a year in less than full health

How to read this: each square is a year of life, each row ten years; filled squares are years in full health, rounded to whole years.

Women: 54.3 healthy years of 63.9. Men: 52.2 of 59.4.

COD · forced from home · end of 2025

Displacement in Democratic Republic of the Congo

At the end of 2025, 5,669,479 people were displaced inside the Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 50 of every 1,000 people living there.

hosted from abroad603,844
displaced inside it5,669,479
Democratic Republic of the Congo nationals abroad1,344,910

stayed inside their own country crossed a border

How to read this: one square stands for 100,000 people, so the rows can be compared with one another. The last row is people from the Democratic Republic of the Congo living in another country, wherever they are.

In 2025, 99,377 people asked for asylum in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the first time; 44,528 people from the Democratic Republic of the Congo asked for asylum in another country. Of every 100 people from the Democratic Republic of the Congo whose claims were decided that year, 47 were given protection. Who asks for asylum, and who is given it

How the world's displacement is counted

COD · of every 100 people

How people live in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Of every 100 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2025, 49 lived in a city, 25 in a town or suburb and 26 in the countryside.

cities towns and suburbs rural areas

77.5 of every 100 have no electricity at home (2024). 80.3 of every 100 do not use the internet (2024).

How to read this: one square for every hundredth person, coloured as the key shows. Because the rule behind the colours is the same everywhere, two countries' squares can be compared directly.

How the world's people live

COD · adults 25 and over · 2020

How far people in Democratic Republic of the Congo went in school

Of every 100 adults in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2020, 15 never went to school and 24 finished upper secondary or went further.

15 never went to school 22 some primary 15 finished primary 24 finished lower secondary 18 finished upper secondary 6 studied after school

Among women, 9.9 of every 100 aged 25–29 never went to school, against 40 of every 100 aged 60–64; among men, 2.7 against 8.6.

Its people aged 15 to 64 are still growing in 2100 in the middle projection.

How to read this: the row is the adults (25 and over) shrunk to 100 people, coloured by how far each went in school, least schooling on the left. The Wittgenstein Centre's count, 2020.

How far the world's people went in school

COD · cities · 2025

Cities in Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo had 223 cities in 2025, home to 54.9 million people. The largest, Kinshasa, holds 10 of every 100 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Kinshasa10,943,641
Kasaï-Oriental3,605,738
Lubumbashi2,832,853
Beni1,923,700
Kananga1,504,370
Tshikapa1,054,686
Bukavu948,948
Kisangani900,330
Goma809,601
Kalemie758,379

All 70 cities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that reach 300,000 people

Kinshasa 10,943,641
Kasaï-Oriental 3,605,738
Lubumbashi 2,832,853
Beni 1,923,700
Kananga 1,504,370
Tshikapa 1,054,686
Bukavu 948,948
Kisangani 900,330
Goma 809,601
Kalemie 758,379
Kamina 724,982
Likasi 673,034
Bunia 582,792
Kikwit 549,102
Manono 517,304
Butembo 454,857
Kolwezi 446,709
Gemena 440,327
Mbandaka 432,976
Uvira 416,523
Kongolo 410,371
Malemba-Nkulu 386,790
Matadi 377,297
Mwene-Ditu 351,319
Ngandajika 345,996
Mulongo 321,881
Ilebo 321,392
Kindu 309,727
Fungurume 298,713
Kasumbalesa 294,623
Kasaji 292,523
Mweka 279,312
Kabinda 269,115
Kilwa 256,165
Lisala 248,434
Demba 248,191
Kipushi 247,546
Kamituga 243,261
Kambove 242,939
Boma 242,042
Mbanza-Ngungu 236,056
Luputa 230,128
Bumba 216,429
Kahemba 215,825
Kabongo 215,612
Rutshuru 214,158
Bandundu 212,016
Kabondo-Dianda 211,167
Luena 205,691
Mongbwalu 205,051
Musangala 199,847
Kasangulu 198,467
Dilolo 197,075
Kisantu 195,949
Kinzao 193,973
Nyunzu 192,205
Rubaya 189,880
Lwambo 176,648
Kitenge 174,943
Mukubu 168,033
Sandoa 165,522
Musumba 158,159
Tshimbulu 149,595
Mukanga 147,526
Lwebo 137,354
Luiza 135,439
Busisi 103,613
Kipese 92,786
Walungu 71,897
Loutu 66,056

How to read this: the 10 biggest cities here in 2025, drawn on a single scale so the bars can be compared. Each is a built-up area on the UN's rule rather than a city government's patch.

All the world's cities

Apparatus

Sources and method

Every figure on this page comes from the UN's World Population Prospects 2024: the annual country tables (estimates to 2023, projections with 95% intervals from 2024), and the population by single year of age and sex for the pyramid.

The censuses, surveys and registers behind the UN's estimates for the Democratic Republic of the Congo are listed, source by source, on the UN's own data sources page.

Sources: UN WPP 2024 · World Bank · UNHCR · country code lists · UN WUP 2025 · Wittgenstein Centre · WHO GHO · flag-icons · Natural Earth. Every source, its licence and how to cite it →

Checked before it was drawn

Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries The pyramid for every year was checked against the published total. What that stamp counts, and what every page here has to pass before it can be built: how this site checks its figures.