Population in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Population was 105.79 million people in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Population in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Democratic Republic of Congo recorded 105.79 million people for population in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.3% on the previous year and up 39.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 105.79 million people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 12.29 million people, in 1950.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 15th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 13.53 million people | 12.29 million people | 14.89 million people | 10 |
| 1960s | 17.29 million people | 15.26 million people | 19.57 million people | 10 |
| 1970s | 22.81 million people | 20.14 million people | 25.89 million people | 10 |
| 1980s | 30.87 million people | 26.71 million people | 35.49 million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 42.91 million people | 36.68 million people | 48.91 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 58.14 million people | 50.51 million people | 66.41 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 80.19 million people | 68.56 million people | 92.95 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 100.83 million people | 95.99 million people | 105.79 million people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More population data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- 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)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 5.98 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 517,404 people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 5.98 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 5.98 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate 3.3% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 6.05 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Population in Democratic Republic of Congo was 105.79 million people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 105.79 million people in 2023.
- What is the lowest population recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.29 million people in 1950.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for population?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 15th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown.