Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Congo
Congo: Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita was 64.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Congo, 1950–2025
Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Congo stood at 64.1%. That is the highest value across all 76 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Congo peaked at 64.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 31.5%, in 1950.
That places Congo 124th out of 236 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Congo, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 31.5% | — |
| 1951 | 32.1% | +2.1% |
| 1952 | 32.7% | +2.0% |
| 1953 | 33.4% | +1.8% |
| 1954 | 33.9% | +1.7% |
| 1955 | 34.5% | +1.6% |
| 1956 | 35.0% | +1.5% |
| 1957 | 35.5% | +1.4% |
| 1958 | 35.9% | +1.3% |
| 1959 | 36.3% | +1.1% |
| 1960 | 36.7% | +1.0% |
| 1961 | 37.0% | +0.8% |
| 1962 | 37.0% | +0.1% |
| 1963 | 37.1% | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 37.2% | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 37.3% | +0.3% |
| 1966 | 37.4% | +0.4% |
| 1967 | 37.6% | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 37.8% | +0.6% |
| 1969 | 38.1% | +0.6% |
| 1970 | 38.3% | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 38.6% | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 38.9% | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 39.2% | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 39.6% | +1.0% |
| 1975 | 40.2% | +1.6% |
| 1976 | 41.2% | +2.4% |
| 1977 | 42.4% | +2.9% |
| 1978 | 43.8% | +3.2% |
| 1979 | 45.3% | +3.4% |
| 1980 | 46.8% | +3.3% |
| 1981 | 48.2% | +3.1% |
| 1982 | 49.6% | +2.8% |
| 1983 | 50.7% | +2.4% |
| 1984 | 51.6% | +1.8% |
| 1985 | 52.3% | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 52.9% | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 53.4% | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 53.8% | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 54.2% | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 54.6% | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 54.9% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 55.3% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 55.6% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 56.0% | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 56.4% | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 56.8% | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 57.3% | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 57.8% | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 58.3% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 58.9% | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 59.4% | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 60.0% | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 60.5% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 60.9% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 61.3% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 61.6% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 61.9% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 62.0% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 62.2% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 62.4% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 62.6% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 62.7% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 62.9% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 63.0% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 63.1% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 63.3% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 63.4% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 63.4% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 63.5% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 63.6% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 63.6% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 63.6% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 63.7% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 63.9% | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 64.1% | +0.4% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 64.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 50.9%, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Congo's 64.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 44.9%, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 34.1% | 31.5% | 36.3% | 10 |
| 1960s | 37.3% | 36.7% | 38.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 40.8% | 38.3% | 45.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 51.3% | 46.8% | 54.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 56.3% | 54.6% | 58.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 60.9% | 58.9% | 62.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.0% | 62.4% | 63.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.8% | 63.6% | 64.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Congo
More population data for Congo
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.5095 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.6949 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.7% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1.51 million people (2100)
- Population density 58.64 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.7% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.0471 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.17 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Congo?
- Share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Congo was 64.1% in 2025, according to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 64.1% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.5% in 1950.
- How does Congo rank for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita?
- Congo ranks 124th out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Congo data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.