COD · CD · United Nations WPP 2024 · 2026
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo had a population of 116,452,162 people in 2026, ranking 15 of 237 countries and areas. Explore its age pyramid, trends and demographic indicators.
Source: United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant.
- Total population
- 116,452,162 people 2026 · Projection
- Rank
- #15/ 237 Africa #4 / 58
- Share of world population
- 1.40% 2026
- Density
- 51.4 people/km² 2026
- Median age
- 15.9 years
- Life expectancy
- 62.39 years
Country or area overview
Democratic Republic of the Congo is in Africa. In 2026, its population was 116,452,162 people, about 1.40% of the world total. It ranks #15 of 237 countries and areas worldwide. The population was 12,294,287 people in 1950 and is projected to reach 430,709,445 people in 2100. The annual population growth rate in 2026 is 3.13%. The median age is 15.9. 45.8% of the population is under 15 and 3.1% is 65 or older. Life expectancy is 62.39 and the total fertility rate is 5.80. Within Africa, it ranks #4 of 58 by population and #37 of 58 by population density. Data note This page uses the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium variant. Data for 1950–2023 are estimates; 2024 onward, including 2026, are projections. Values for 2100 are long-range projections.
Democratic Republic of the Congo map
Country outline and its location in the world.
World location
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:50m.
Population history and projection
Population from 1950 to 2100. The dashed section shows the UN medium-variant projection from 2024 onward.
Age group · 2026
Population age pyramid
Male and female population by five-year age group. Move the year slider to compare 1950, today and the 2100 projection.
Age-group data
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 10,453,448 | 10,335,929 | 20,789,377 | 17.85% |
| 5–9 | 8,881,059 | 8,842,406 | 17,723,465 | 15.22% |
| 10–14 | 7,426,016 | 7,432,630 | 14,858,646 | 12.76% |
| 15–19 | 6,121,126 | 6,153,007 | 12,274,133 | 10.54% |
| 20–24 | 4,989,873 | 5,039,354 | 10,029,227 | 8.61% |
| 25–29 | 4,205,708 | 4,265,457 | 8,471,165 | 7.27% |
| 30–34 | 3,532,416 | 3,600,084 | 7,132,500 | 6.12% |
| 35–39 | 2,845,487 | 2,913,191 | 5,758,678 | 4.95% |
| 40–44 | 2,269,812 | 2,332,269 | 4,602,081 | 3.95% |
| 45–49 | 1,773,243 | 1,843,316 | 3,616,559 | 3.11% |
| 50–54 | 1,466,245 | 1,554,888 | 3,021,133 | 2.59% |
| 55–59 | 1,223,758 | 1,324,831 | 2,548,589 | 2.19% |
| 60–64 | 960,273 | 1,063,764 | 2,024,037 | 1.74% |
| 65–69 | 701,538 | 799,095 | 1,500,633 | 1.29% |
| 70–74 | 467,083 | 550,450 | 1,017,533 | 0.87% |
| 75–79 | 277,037 | 346,845 | 623,882 | 0.54% |
| 80–84 | 135,493 | 184,951 | 320,444 | 0.28% |
| 85–89 | 44,510 | 68,108 | 112,618 | 0.10% |
| 90–94 | 8,393 | 16,109 | 24,502 | 0.02% |
| 95–99 | 745 | 2,074 | 2,819 | 0.00% |
| 100+ | 24 | 121 | 145 | 0.00% |
Demographic indicators
UN WPP 2024 indicators for 2026.
| Indicator | 2026 | Projection for 2100 | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 116,452,162 people | 430,709,445 people | people |
| Male population | 57,783,287 people | 210,892,394 people | people |
| Female population | 58,668,875 people | 219,817,052 people | people |
| Population density | 51.4 people/km² | 190.0 people/km² | people/km² |
| Sex ratio | 98.5 | 95.9 | males per 100 females |
| Median age | 15.9 | 31.8 | years |
| Natural change | 3,676,042 | 2,895,270 | people |
| Natural change rate | 31.57 ‰ | 6.72 ‰ | ‰ |
| Population change | 3,647,187 | 2,832,715 | people |
| Population growth rate | 3.13% | 0.66% | % |
| Population doubling time | 22.1 | 105.3 | years |
| Births | 4,634,979 people | 6,813,098 people | people |
| Births to women aged 15–19 | 623,983 | 318,445 | people |
| Birth rate | 39.80 ‰ | 15.82 ‰ | ‰ |
| Total fertility rate | 5.80 | 2.16 | children per woman |
| Net reproduction rate | 2.507 | 1.025 | |
| Mean age at childbearing | 30.10 | 30.78 | years |
| Sex ratio at birth | 102.3 | 102.5 | males per 100 females |
| Deaths | 958,937 people | 3,917,828 people | people |
| Male deaths | 518,414 | 2,086,744 | people |
| Female deaths | 440,523 | 1,831,083 | people |
| Death rate | 8.24 ‰ | 9.10 ‰ | ‰ |
| Life expectancy at birth | 62.39 | 71.92 | years |
| Male life expectancy at birth | 60.25 | 69.15 | years |
| Female life expectancy at birth | 64.57 | 74.74 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 15 | 53.59 | 59.38 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 65 | 13.65 | 15.51 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 80 | 5.89 | 6.78 | years |
| Infant deaths | 219,135 | 133,650 | people |
| Infant mortality rate | 47.41 ‰ | 19.61 ‰ | ‰ |
| Survivors to age 1 | 4,454,526 | 6,692,699 | people |
| Deaths under age 5 | 320,494 | 183,221 | people |
| Under-5 mortality rate | 70.59 ‰ | 26.85 ‰ | ‰ |
| Net migration | -28,843 | -62,565 | people |
| Net migration rate | -0.25 ‰ | -0.15 ‰ | ‰ |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the population of Democratic Republic of the Congo?
- In 2026, Democratic Republic of the Congo had a population of 116,452,162 people. It ranks #15 of 237 countries and areas worldwide.
- How has the population of Democratic Republic of the Congo changed?
- The population was 12,294,287 people in 1950 and is projected to reach 430,709,445 people in 2100.
- What is the age structure of Democratic Republic of the Congo?
- The median age is 15.9. 45.8% of the population is under 15 and 3.1% is 65 or older.
- How does Democratic Republic of the Congo compare within Africa?
- By total population, Democratic Republic of the Congo ranks #4 of 58 in Africa and #15 of 237 worldwide.
Estimates cover 1950–2023; 2024 and later are UN medium-variant projections. Rankings use the latest available value for the selected year. The world total is the sum of all countries and areas in the dataset.