Population growth rate in Congo
Congo: Population growth rate was 2.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
2.4%
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
31st
of 236 countries
All-time high
5.0%
in 2000
All-time low
1.6%
in 1997
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Population growth rate in Congo, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, population growth rate in Congo stood at 2.4%.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth rate in Congo peaked at 5.0% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 1997.
Congo ranks 31st of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Population growth rate in Congo, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.2% | — |
| 1951 | 2.2% | +1.4% |
| 1952 | 2.2% | +1.4% |
| 1953 | 2.3% | +1.8% |
| 1954 | 2.3% | +1.4% |
| 1955 | 2.3% | +2.3% |
| 1956 | 2.4% | +2.0% |
| 1957 | 2.4% | +1.8% |
| 1958 | 2.5% | +2.2% |
| 1959 | 2.5% | +1.7% |
| 1960 | 2.6% | +1.3% |
| 1961 | 2.6% | +1.6% |
| 1962 | 2.6% | +1.3% |
| 1963 | 2.7% | +2.3% |
| 1964 | 2.7% | +1.9% |
| 1965 | 2.8% | +2.0% |
| 1966 | 2.9% | +1.8% |
| 1967 | 2.9% | +1.1% |
| 1968 | 2.9% | +2.2% |
| 1969 | 3.0% | +1.4% |
| 1970 | 3.0% | +1.4% |
| 1971 | 3.1% | +1.7% |
| 1972 | 3.1% | +1.3% |
| 1973 | 3.1% | +0.2% |
| 1974 | 3.1% | -0.5% |
| 1975 | 2.5% | -20.6% |
| 1976 | 2.4% | -2.5% |
| 1977 | 2.4% | -1.6% |
| 1978 | 2.3% | -2.2% |
| 1979 | 2.3% | -2.8% |
| 1980 | 2.2% | -1.6% |
| 1981 | 2.2% | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 2.1% | -3.5% |
| 1983 | 2.0% | -4.4% |
| 1984 | 3.0% | +46.1% |
| 1985 | 2.9% | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 2.9% | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 2.9% | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 2.9% | -1.4% |
| 1989 | 2.9% | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 2.8% | -3.3% |
| 1991 | 2.9% | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 2.8% | -3.5% |
| 1993 | 3.1% | +12.9% |
| 1994 | 2.8% | -10.8% |
| 1995 | 2.8% | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 2.7% | -4.3% |
| 1997 | 1.6% | -42.0% |
| 1998 | 2.8% | +78.5% |
| 1999 | 2.6% | -7.7% |
| 2000 | 5.0% | +93.7% |
| 2001 | 2.6% | -48.8% |
| 2002 | 2.2% | -16.0% |
| 2003 | 3.4% | +58.0% |
| 2004 | 3.4% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 3.8% | +10.4% |
| 2006 | 3.7% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 3.6% | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 3.0% | -17.5% |
| 2009 | 5.0% | +67.0% |
| 2010 | 3.3% | -32.8% |
| 2011 | 3.2% | -5.5% |
| 2012 | 2.4% | -22.7% |
| 2013 | 2.4% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 2.4% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 2.4% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 2.4% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 2.4% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 2.4% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 2.4% | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 2.4% | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 2.4% | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 2.4% | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 2.4% | -0.1% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 2.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.7%, 1.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Congo's 2.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.3%, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth rate in Congo changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +93.7% | 2.6% | 5.0% |
| 1998 | +78.5% | 1.6% | 2.8% |
| 2009 | +67.0% | 3.0% | 5.0% |
| 2003 | +58.0% | 2.2% | 3.4% |
| 2001 | -48.8% | 5.0% | 2.6% |
| 1984 | +46.1% | 2.0% | 3.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.3% | 2.2% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.8% | 2.6% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.7% | 2.3% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.6% | 2.0% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.7% | 1.6% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.6% | 2.2% | 5.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.6% | 2.4% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Congo
- 28 Cote d'Ivoire 2.5% compare
- 28 Madagascar 2.5% compare
- 30 Guinea 2.4% compare
- 32 Equatorial Guinea 2.4% compare
- 33 Saudi Arabia 2.4% compare
- 34 Solomon Islands 2.4% compare
More population data for Congo
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.6949 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.03 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.6949 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.5095 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 10,379 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.17 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.0471 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.7% (2100)
- Population density 58.64 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1.51 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth rate in Congo?
- Population growth rate in Congo was 2.4% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population growth rate recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 5.0% in 2000.
- What is the lowest population growth rate recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 1997.
- How does Congo rank for population growth rate?
- Congo ranks 31st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population growth rate rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Congo data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Annual rate at which the population is growing, expressed as a percentage.