Demographics of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Demographic features of the population of the Democratic Republic of the Congo include ethnicity, education level, health, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

As many as 250 ethnic groups have been distinguished and named. The most numerous people are the Luba, Mongo, and Kongo.

Although 700 local languages and dialects are spoken, the linguistic variety is bridged both by the use of French, and the intermediary languages Kikongo ya leta, Tshiluba, Swahili, and Lingala.

Population

The CIA World Factbook estimated the population to be over 105 million as of 2022 (the exact number being 108,407,721), now exceeding that of Vietnam (with 98,721,275 inhabitants as of 2020) and ascending the country to the rank of 14th most populous in the world. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2020 was 46.38%, 51.15% of the population was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 2.47% was 65 years or older. Total populationPopulation aged 0–14 (%)Population aged 15–64 (%)Population aged 65+ (%) 195012 184 00043.752.53.8 195513 580 00043.853.13.1 196015 368 00043.853.32.9 196517 543 00043.953.22.8 197020 267 00044.452.82.8 197523 317 00044.952.32.8 198027 019 00045.451.82.8 198531 044 00046.151.12.8 199036 406 00047.050.22.8 199544 067 00047.949.42.7 200049 626 00048.049.42.7 200557 421 00047.549.92.7 201065 966 00046.351.12.7 2020101 780 26346.451.22.5

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2020) (Post-censal estimates.) (Provisional.): Age groupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 50 286 000 51 472 000 101 758 000 100 0–4 9 956 000 9 780 000 19 736 000 19.40 5–9 8 046 000 7 978 000 16 024 000 15.75 10–14 6 638 000 6 588 000 13 226 000 13.00 15–19 5 280 000 5 250 000 10 530 000 10.35 20–24 4 224 000 4 272 000 8 496 000 8.35 25–29 3 621 000 3 603 000 7 224 000 7.10 30–34 3 017 000 3 037 000 6 054 000 5.95 35–39 2 565 000 2 728 000 5 293 000 5.20 40–44 2 011 000 2 059 000 4 070 000 4.00 45–49 1 307 000 1 493 000 2 800 000 2.75 50–54 1 056 000 1 287 000 2 343 000 2.30 55–59 704 000 926 000 1 630 000 1.60 60–64 704 000 926 000 1 630 000 1.60 65–69 553 000 721 000 1 274 000 1.25 70–74 302 000 412 000 714 000 0.70 75+ 302 000 412 000 714 000 0.70Age groupMaleFemaleTotalPercent 0–14 24 640 000 24 346 000 48 986 000 48.14 15–64 24 489 000 25 581 000 50 070 000 49.20 65+ 1 157 000 1 545 000 2 702 000 2.66

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (DHS 2023-24): Age GroupMaleFemaleTotal 0–4 17.6 15.4 16.5 5–9 17.5 16.4 17.0 10–14 16.0 15.5 15.7 15–19 10.7 9.9 10.3 20–24 7.0 8.3 7.7 25–29 5.1 6.3 5.7 30–34 4.4 5.2 4.8 35–39 4.6 5.1 4.9 40–44 3.8 3.5 3.6 45–49 2.9 2.8 2.9 50–54 2.6 3.9 3.3 55–59 2.0 2.4 2.2 60–64 2.6 2.0 2.3 65-69 1.5 1.4 1.4 70-74 0.8 0.9 0.8 75-79 0.5 0.5 0.5 80+ 0.4 0.4 0.4Age groupMaleFemaleTotal 0–14 51.1 47.3 49.2 15–64 45.7 49.5 47.7 65+ 3.2 3.2 3.1

Census The first and so far only census conducted in DR Congo dates from 1984. A census is supposed to be conducted decennially, but this has been obstructed by periods of instability such as the political reorganization in 1991 and the civil war in 1996.

In January 2015, the parliament passed a law requiring that a census be completed before the next election. Opponents said this was intended to keep Joseph Kabila in power by delaying the next election, leading to protests that caused several deaths. The parliament repealed the law and the census did not take place.

The second general census of population and housing is underway as of 2024. President Félix Tshisekedi called for a census to improve demographic policies and to enable the creation of national identity cards. The National Office for Population Identification (ONIP), founded in 2011, was tasked with leading the census, settling a dispute between bids by the Ministries of Interior, Planning, and Digital Technology. Preliminary mapping was conducted in 2018 under Minister of State Modeste Bahati Lukwebo. Data collection began on 2 March 2020 and was scheduled to end on 10 June, but implementation was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection was arranged by the Ministries of Planning, Budget, and Finance, and the electoral commission sent materials to the ONIP and the . In 2022, Prime Minister Sama Lukonde issued a decree about the operations of the census. The government allocated the census 250 million dollars of its 2022 budget. The census is planned to be completed in 2025 with an expected budget of US$153,700,453.

Vital statistics Registration of vital events in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is incomplete. The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates. (found under: World Population Prospects 2022 – Download Files ) PeriodPopulationLive birthsDeathsNatural changeCBR*CDR*NC*TFR*IMR*Life expectancy195012,174,000566,000326,000239,00046.026.619.55.97179.938.31195112,415,000579,000328,000251,00046.126.220.05.97178.538.44195212,671,000592,000327,000264,00046.225.620.65.97175.838.85195312,937,000607,000329,000278,00046.425.121.25.98173.339.14195413,202,000619,000330,000289,00046.324.721.65.98171.039.47195513,484,000632,000333,000299,00046.324.421.95.98168.839.72195613,777,000646,000336,000311,00046.424.122.35.99166.739.98195714,084,000663,000338,000325,00046.523.722.86.01164.740.32195814,402,000681,000343,000338,00046.723.523.26.04162.940.50195914,714,000698,000348,000349,00046.823.423.46.07161.240.64196015,069,000716,000354,000362,00046.923.223.76.08159.840.86196115,460,000738,000370,000368,00047.123.623.56.11159.640.24196215,864,000761,000378,000383,00047.423.523.86.13158.140.34196316,287,000785,000385,000400,00047.523.324.26.16156.540.60196416,728,000808,000403,000406,00047.723.824.06.18155.740.05196517,183,000833,000404,000429,00047.923.224.76.21153.140.70196617,673,000859,000397,000462,00047.922.125.86.24149.542.05196718,191,000885,000405,000480,00048.021.926.06.27147.342.31196818,735,000910,000411,000500,00047.921.626.36.30145.142.71196919,290,000935,000418,000517,00047.821.426.46.32142.742.98197019,851,000959,000425,000534,00047.621.126.56.34140.543.28197120,424,000985,000431,000554,00047.520.826.86.38138.343.66197220,967,0001,006,000437,000569,00047.320.526.86.40136.443.93197321,535,0001,026,000445,000582,00047.020.426.66.41134.744.10197422,121,0001,047,000451,000597,00046.720.126.66.42133.344.41197522,717,0001,070,000460,000610,00046.420.026.46.42132.144.47197623,325,0001,091,000468,000623,00046.119.826.36.43130.944.66197723,923,0001,111,000476,000634,00045.819.626.16.43129.844.76197824,535,0001,134,000491,000643,00045.619.725.86.44129.144.54197925,450,0001,184,000496,000688,00045.919.226.76.46126.945.21198026,323,0001,227,000507,000720,00046.019.027.06.47125.145.47198127,099,0001,260,000517,000744,00045.918.827.16.49123.545.72198227,902,0001,293,000526,000766,00045.818.627.26.50121.945.92198328,774,0001,333,000535,000798,00045.918.527.56.55120.346.18198429,728,0001,377,000545,000832,00046.218.327.96.60118.746.45198530,763,0001,433,000559,000873,00046.518.228.46.65117.446.62198631,767,0001,480,000571,000910,00046.718.028.76.69116.146.91198732,763,0001,529,000579,000950,00046.817.729.16.74114.947.34198833,834,0001,568,000588,000980,00046.517.429.16.73113.747.77198934,931,0001,610,000596,0001,014,00046.317.129.16.74112.648.17199036,043,0001,652,000604,0001,047,00046.016.829.26.70111.348.60199137,325,0001,713,000617,0001,097,00046.116.629.56.69110.148.95199238,526,0001,761,000629,0001,132,00045.916.429.56.67108.949.24199339,932,0001,804,000638,0001,165,00045.716.229.56.64108.149.55199441,381,0001,878,000653,0001,225,00045.916.029.96.67107.049.88199543,873,0002,046,000682,0001,364,00047.115.731.46.71105.750.41199644,995,0002,083,000730,0001,353,00046.816.430.46.72106.449.31199745,598,0002,067,000707,0001,360,00045.815.730.26.73103.750.40199846,462,0002,071,000729,0001,342,00045.115.929.26.73101.549.70199948,133,0002,128,000739,0001,389,00045.015.629.46.7299.549.95200049,693,0002,189,000712,0001,477,00045.014.630.46.7297.351.78200151,322,0002,245,000721,0001,525,00044.814.430.46.7095.052.12200252,943,0002,310,000733,0001,577,00044.714.230.56.6792.652.33200354,558,0002,372,000738,0001,634,00044.513.930.76.6489.952.83200456,130,0002,426,000738,0001,688,00044.313.530.86.6287.253.43200557,865,0002,499,000743,0001,757,00044.213.131.16.6084.653.93200659,686,0002,592,000746,0001,846,00044.412.831.66.5982.054.53200761,546,0002,675,000756,0001,920,00044.412.531.86.5879.454.92200863,410,0002,767,000764,0002,003,00044.412.332.26.5877.055.34200965,372,0002,867,000771,0002,096,00044.612.032.66.5974.555.84201067,453,0002,957,000774,0002,183,00044.511.732.96.5972.256.42201169,674,0003,069,000776,0002,293,00044.711.333.46.5870.057.07201272,025,0003,171,000793,0002,378,00044.611.233.56.5668.057.25201374,484,0003,247,000797,0002,450,00044.210.933.46.5365.957.76201477,095,0003,345,000802,0002,543,00044.010.633.46.4864.058.30201579,712,0003,433,000818,0002,615,00043.610.433.26.4462.258.49201682,359,0003,532,000820,0002,712,00043.410.133.36.3960.459.07201785,554,0003,647,000832,0002,815,00043.39.933.46.3558.659.41201888,613,0003,748,000835,0002,913,00043.09.633.46.3056.959.94201991,482,0003,839,000844,0002,995,00042.79.433.36.2555.560.28202094,413,0003,930,000886,0003,044,00042.39.532.86.2153.959.74202197,567,0004,158,000930,0003,163,00041.99.431.96.1652.060.02022100,731,0004,262,000914,0003,333,00041.68.932.76.1150.561.02023104,063,000 4,370,000902,000 3,453,00041.3 8.532.86.0549.361.92024  40.98.432.55.982025  40.48.332.15.90 *CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000 people); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000 people); NC = natural change (per 1000 people), also equals CBR minus CDR; IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births; TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman)

Population estimates by INS The Institute of National Statistics of the DRC has provided population estimates from 1984 and 2000-2019: 1984: 30,631,000 2000: 52,099,000 2001: 53,870,000 2002: 55,702,000 2003: 57,596,000 2004: 59,554,000 2005: 61,579,000 2006: 63,673,000 2007: 65,837,000 2008: 68,076,000 2009: 70,391,000 2010: 72,784,000 2011: 75,259,000 2012: 77,817,000 2013: 80,462,000 2014: 83,197,000 2015: 86,024,000 2016: 88,957,000 2017: 91,994,000 2018: 94,921,000 2019: 98,370,000

Fertility Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR) for urban and rural areas:

The Wanted Fertility Rate is an estimate of what the fertility rate would be if all unwanted births were avoided.

Year CBR (Total) TFR (Total) CBR (Urban) TFR (Urban) CBR (Rural) TFR (Rural) 2007 44.1 6.3 (5.6) 40.4 5.4 (4.8) 46.8 7.0 (6.2) 2013–14 44.1 6.6 (5.7) 40.5 5.4 (4.6) 45.9 7.3 (6.5) 2023–24 35.7 5.5 (4.8) 30.4 4.2 (3.5) 38.6 6.4 (5.7)

Fertility data per province, as of 2014:

Province Total fertility rate Percentage of women age 15-49 currently pregnant Mean number of children ever born to women age 40–49Kinshasa 4.2 5.7 4.8Bas-Congo 6.0 12.6 6.5Bandundu 6.3 12.1 6.1Équateur 7.0 14.3 6.5Orientale 5.9 11.6 5.3Nord-Kivu 6.5 9.7 6.7Sud-Kivu 7.7 12.5 7.4Maniema 6.9 14.8 7.0Katanga 7.8 12.8 7.3Kasaï Oriental 7.3 12.4 7.5Kasaï Occidental 8.2 14.2 7.5

Years 19251926192719281929Total Fertility Rate in Democratic Republic of the Congo5.995.995.995.995.99 Years 1930193119321933193419351936193719381939Total Fertility Rate in Democratic Republic of the Congo5.995.995.995.995.995.995.995.995.995.99 Years 1940194119421943194419451946194719481949Total Fertility Rate in Democratic Republic of the Congo5.995.995.995.995.995.995.995.995.995.99

Life expectancy

PeriodLife expectancy in Years1950–195539.061955–1960 40.551960–1965 41.631965–1970 42.991970–1975 44.771975–1980 45.631980–1985 47.131985–1990 48.251990–1995 49.591995–2000 48.892000–2005 51.842005–2010 55.482010–2015 58.10

Ethnic groups