The Democratic Republic of Congo

World · Capital: Kinshasa

LIVE

Population now

116,809,747

As of 2026, the population of The Democratic Republic of Congo is approximately 116,809,747 (live estimate), growing at 3.2% per year with a birth rate of 40.5 and a death rate of 8.5 per 1,000 people. The population is 49.8% male and 50.2% female, at a density of 37.08259236 people per km².

Neighbouring countries are clickable

Births today—

Deaths today—

Net increase today—

Growth rate / yr—

Key indicators

Birth rate: 40.5 /1,000/yr
Death rate: 8.5 /1,000/yr
Literacy: 80.0%
Smoking: 12.8%
Density: 37.08259236 /km²

Male —

Female —

What's trending

Simulated feed. Connect a trends API to replace it.

Demographic profile

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the 15th most populous of the 238 countries and territories tracked on this site, home to about 1.4% of everyone alive. Within World, it ranks 1 of 6.

Each day brings roughly 12,952 births and 2,718 deaths, adding about 3,737,891 people over a year. At the current natural-increase rate of 3.2% annually, the population would double in roughly 22 years if the rate held. Real trajectories bend as fertility, mortality and migration shift, which is why the chart below shows both history and projection.

Among its first-level divisions, the largest by our modelled allocation is Haut-Katanga, holding an estimated 21.1% of the national population. The full breakdown of all 25 states and regions is in the table below — regional figures outside Sudan are modelled estimates built on real region names, and are flagged as such.

Literacy stands near 80.0% and adult smoking prevalence around 12.8%. Baselines come from UN World Population Prospects, the World Bank, WHO surveys, WorldPop and HDX; the counters project them forward in real time — the method, and every caveat, is documented on our data sources page.

Quick answers

What is the population of The Democratic Republic of Congo in 2026? Approximately 116,809,747 people (live projection; the counter above updates every second).

How fast is The Democratic Republic of Congo growing? About 3.2% per year — roughly 12,952 births and 2,718 deaths every day.

What share of the world lives in The Democratic Republic of Congo? Around 1.4% — ranked 15 worldwide by population.

Population history & projection

Breakdown by states / regions

Regional figures are modelled estimates: real region names, populations allocated from the national total. Sudan carries curated state data.

State / region	Population	Male %	Birth rate	Death rate	Education %	Smoking %
Haut-Katanga	24,663,566	49.0%	35.8	9.3	80.1%	9.9%
Haut-Uélé	13,682,970	49.5%	36.9	9.2	73.4%	15.6%
Kongo Central	9,693,995	49.0%	42.7	9.2	81.7%	15.6%
Lomami	7,591,102	49.6%	42.8	9.1	77.5%	15.9%
Tshopo	6,279,591	50.1%	36.2	7.9	85.3%	10.0%
Lualaba	5,378,080	49.9%	39.9	8.5	84.8%	13.3%
Bas-Uélé	4,717,615	50.8%	39.7	8.5	81.6%	9.8%
Kasaï Oriental	4,211,428	49.5%	39.9	8.2	78.3%	12.3%
Tanganyika	3,810,217	49.4%	43.9	7.6	82.4%	11.8%
Maniema	3,483,821	50.9%	38.9	8.5	86.0%	15.7%
Kwilu	3,212,714	49.7%	39.6	8.3	74.9%	12.5%
Tshuapa	2,983,677	48.6%	44.8	8.1	84.8%	12.1%
Kasaï Central	2,787,430	50.3%	41.3	8.1	85.3%	14.1%
Kasaï	2,617,261	49.2%	45.1	9.1	75.4%	10.4%
Sud-Ubangi	2,468,188	49.7%	44.1	8.9	77.1%	10.4%
Équateur	2,336,435	50.4%	37.9	9.2	80.2%	15.2%
Kwango	2,219,086	50.7%	43.2	8.9	80.1%	13.1%
Mongala	2,113,850	50.5%	43.9	9.1	78.5%	10.9%
Nord-Kivu	2,018,902	49.1%	40.7	9.2	74.3%	15.2%
Ituri	1,932,770	49.7%	40.6	8.4	79.3%	15.0%
Mai-Ndombe	1,854,255	50.3%	43.8	7.6	83.2%	9.7%
Sankuru	1,782,364	49.6%	36.6	8.0	84.4%	12.7%
Sud-Kivu	1,716,276	50.8%	43.7	9.2	76.2%	13.9%
Nord-Ubangi	1,655,298	50.8%	35.8	9.4	77.8%	12.5%
Haut-Lomami	1,598,846	50.5%	39.6	9.4	86.8%	12.9%