Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Share of urban population who live in the largest city was 14.9% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of urban population who live in the largest city in Democratic Republic of Congo is 14.9%, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of up 12.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of urban population who live in the largest city in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 16.2% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 4.2%, in 1950.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 143rd of 179 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 4.2% | — |
| 1955 | 4.7% | +13.8% |
| 1960 | 5.3% | +12.2% |
| 1965 | 6.1% | +15.1% |
| 1970 | 7.0% | +13.9% |
| 1975 | 7.8% | +12.3% |
| 1980 | 10.1% | +28.6% |
| 1985 | 12.3% | +22.2% |
| 1990 | 13.9% | +13.1% |
| 1995 | 15.2% | +9.6% |
| 2000 | 16.2% | +6.6% |
| 2005 | 14.4% | -11.4% |
| 2010 | 13.3% | -7.7% |
| 2015 | 13.8% | +3.7% |
| 2020 | 14.9% | +8.5% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 14.9% is below the median for low income countries, which is 18.4%, 81% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 14.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 28.9%, 52% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 4.5% | 4.2% | 4.7% | 2 |
| 1960s | 5.7% | 5.3% | 6.1% | 2 |
| 1970s | 7.4% | 7.0% | 7.8% | 2 |
| 1980s | 11.2% | 10.1% | 12.3% | 2 |
| 1990s | 14.6% | 13.9% | 15.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 15.3% | 14.4% | 16.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 13.5% | 13.3% | 13.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 14.9% | 14.9% | 14.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More population data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.6537 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.6699 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 1.57 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.6699 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.7% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 33.44 million people (2100)
- Population density 189.99 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.7% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.1964 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, per capita 0.5489 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of urban population who live in the largest city in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Democratic Republic of Congo was 14.9% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of urban population who live in the largest city recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 16.2% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of urban population who live in the largest city recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.2% in 1950.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for share of urban population who live in the largest city?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 143rd out of 179 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of urban population who live in the largest city rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of urban population who live in the largest city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of the urban population living in the country's largest city (by population). City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.