Democratic Republic of the Congo Demographics

Population of the DR Congo (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of the DR Congo

DRC Population
116,452,162
see live
Yearly Change
+3.21%
Global Share
1.4%
Global Rank
15

Median Age

The median age in the DR Congo is 15.9 years (2026).

Fertility in the DR Congo

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
5.80
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in the DR Congo

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
62.4
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
64.6
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
60.2
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in the DR Congo


Infant Mortality
47.4
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
70.6
(per 1,000 live births)


DR Congo Urban Population

Currently, 45.5% of the population of the DR Congo is urban (52,961,718 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in the DR Congo is 51 people per km² (133 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 2,267,048 km² (875,312 sq. miles).

Largest Urban Areas in the DR Congo

The 30 largest of 223 urban areas, ranked by the UN's population estimates for 2026.

RankUrban AreaPopulation
1Kinshasa11,078,527
2Kasaï-Oriental3,675,760
3Lubumbashi2,930,306
4Beni1,962,498
5Kananga1,557,073
6Tshikapa1,081,654
7Bukavu975,838
8Kisangani919,961
9Goma827,968
10Kalemie776,232
11Kamina749,135
12Likasi702,264
13Bunia594,204
14Kikwit563,594
15Manono531,052
16Butembo467,604
17Kolwezi467,438
18Gemena448,610
19Mbandaka437,550
20Uvira426,865
21Kongolo424,172
22Malemba-Nkulu398,309
23Matadi386,335
24Mwene-Ditu365,046
25Ngandajika358,408
26Mulongo333,757
27Ilebo330,951
28Kindu321,190
29Fungurume310,456
30Kasumbalesa304,542
Unlike official city figures, UN urban areas cover the entire built-up area, which can include multiple cities and towns.
See all 223 urban areas in the DR Congo

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.