CountryDuel

The duel

vs
How would these two fit me?

Land

Size, shape and altitude

Total area

How big is it, really?

The Central African Republic fits inside the DR Congo 3.8 times

Central African Republic: 622,980 km² (2024) · DR Congo: 2,345,410 km² (2024)

Drag it across the map
Coastline

How much coast is there?

Central African Republic: 0 km (2026 edition) · DR Congo: 37 km (2026 edition)

Highest point

How high can you climb?

The DR Congo’s highest peak towers 3,700 m above the Central African Republic’s

Central African Republic: 1,410 m (2026 edition) · DR Congo: 5,110 m (2026 edition)

Farmland

How much of the land is farmed?

Farmland covers 16% of the DR Congo, versus 9.3% of the Central African Republic

Central African Republic: 9.3% (2024) · DR Congo: 16.2% (2024)

How far apart are they?

People

Who lives there, and how closely

Population

How many people live there?

The DR Congo has 20 times as many people as the Central African Republic

Central African Republic: 5.51 million (2025) · DR Congo: 113 million (2025)

Population density

How crowded is it?

The DR Congo is 5.6 times as densely populated as the Central African Republic

Central African Republic: 9 per km² (2025) · DR Congo: 50 per km² (2025)

Height of men

How tall are the men?

The Central African Republic and the DR Congo are practically level

Central African Republic: 169 cm (2019) · DR Congo: 168.6 cm (2019)

Height of women

How tall are the women?

Women in the Central African Republic are 3.3 cm taller than in the DR Congo

Central African Republic: 159.7 cm (2019) · DR Congo: 156.3 cm (2019)

Median age

How old is the typical person?

The typical person in the DR Congo is 1.4 years older than in the Central African Republic

Central African Republic: 14.3 years (2023) · DR Congo: 15.8 years (2023)

Fertility rate

How many children per woman?

The DR Congo and the Central African Republic are practically level

Central African Republic: 5.95 children per woman (2024) · DR Congo: 5.98 children per woman (2024)

Aged 65 and over

How many people are 65 or older?

3.1% of people in the DR Congo are 65 or older, versus 2.2% in the Central African Republic

Central African Republic: 2.2% (2025) · DR Congo: 3.1% (2025)

Refugees hosted per 1,000 residents

How many refugees does it host?

The Central African Republic hosts 2.2 times as many refugees per resident as the DR Congo

Central African Republic: 10 per 1,000 (2025) · DR Congo: 4.5 per 1,000 (2025)

Nobel laureates per 10 million people

How many Nobel laureates were born there?

The DR Congo has produced 0.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, the Central African Republic none

Central African Republic: 0 (2026) · DR Congo: 0.1 (2026)

Official languages

How many official languages?

The DR Congo has 5 official languages, the Central African Republic 2

Central African Republic: 2 (2026) · DR Congo: 5 (2026)

What shape is the population?

Money

What an economy looks like per person

Economy size (GDP)

How big is the economy?

The DR Congo’s economy is 30 times the size of the Central African Republic’s

Central African Republic: $3.07 billion (2025) · DR Congo: $91 billion (2025)

GDP per person (PPP)

How much is produced per person?

The DR Congo produces 46% more per person than the Central African Republic

Central African Republic: Int$1,314 (2025) · DR Congo: Int$1,920 (2025)

Income inequality (Gini)

How evenly is income shared?

Income is more unequally shared in the DR Congo than in the Central African Republic (Gini 1.7 points higher)

Central African Republic: 43 (2021) · DR Congo: 44.7 (2020)

Extreme poverty ($3.00 a day)

How many live on less than $3 a day?

85% of people in the DR Congo live on less than $3 a day, versus 72% in the Central African Republic

Central African Republic: 71.6% (2021) · DR Congo: 85.3% (2020)

Unemployment

How many people are looking for work?

Unemployment is 6.3% in the Central African Republic, versus 4.4% in the DR Congo

Central African Republic: 6.3% (2025) · DR Congo: 4.4% (2025)

Military spending

How much goes to the military?

The Central African Republic spends 2.3% of its GDP on the military, the DR Congo 1.4%

Central African Republic: 2.3% (2025) · DR Congo: 1.4% (2025)

Tax revenue (central government)

How much does the central government collect in tax?

The DR Congo’s central government collects 11% of GDP in tax, the Central African Republic’s 8.2%

Central African Republic: 8.2% (2021) · DR Congo: 10.7% (2022)

Price level (US = 100)

How expensive is it?

The Central African Republic and the DR Congo are nearly identical here

Central African Republic: 42% (2025) · DR Congo: 42% (2025)

Health

Long lives, small beginnings

Health spending per person

How much is spent on health?

The Central African Republic spends 2.3 times as much on health per person as the DR Congo

Central African Republic: $54 (2023) · DR Congo: $23 (2023)

Life expectancy

How long do people live?

People in the DR Congo live 4.4 years longer than in the Central African Republic

Central African Republic: 57.7 years (2024) · DR Congo: 62.1 years (2024)

Infant mortality

How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?

A baby in the Central African Republic is 4% more likely to die before turning one than in the DR Congo

Central African Republic: 58.8 per 1,000 (2024) · DR Congo: 56.4 per 1,000 (2024)

Doctors

How many doctors are there?

The DR Congo has 2.8 times as many doctors per person as the Central African Republic

Central African Republic: 0.1 per 1,000 (2023) · DR Congo: 0.2 per 1,000 (2022)

Suicide rate

How common is suicide?

The suicide rate in the Central African Republic is 33% higher than in the DR Congo

Central African Republic: 24 per 100k (2023) · DR Congo: 18 per 100k (2023)

Adult obesity

How common is obesity?

8.9% of adults in the Central African Republic are obese, versus 5.9% in the DR Congo

Central African Republic: 8.9% (2024) · DR Congo: 5.9% (2024)

Smoking

How many adults smoke?

Central African Republic: no data · DR Congo: 12.3% (2024)

Everyday life

Plates, glasses and happiness

Life satisfaction

How do people rate their lives?

People in the DR Congo rate their lives 0.29 points higher than in the Central African Republic

Central African Republic: 3.48 (2019) · DR Congo: 3.76 (2025)

Alcohol consumption

How much do people drink?

Adults in the Central African Republic drink 14% more alcohol than in the DR Congo

Central African Republic: 1.8 litres (2023) · DR Congo: 1.6 litres (2023)

Meat supply

How much meat is on the menu?

The Central African Republic has 11 times as much meat per person as the DR Congo

Central African Republic: 39.1 kg (2022) · DR Congo: 3.5 kg (2023)

Daily calories

How much food is there per day?

The Central African Republic has 404 kcal more food per person per day than the DR Congo

Central African Republic: 2,419 kcal (2022) · DR Congo: 2,015 kcal (2023)

Working hours

How long do people work?

Central African Republic: no data · DR Congo: 1,841 hours (2023)

Years of schooling

How long do people go to school?

Adults in the DR Congo went to school 3.4 years longer than in the Central African Republic

Central African Republic: 4 years (2023) · DR Congo: 7.4 years (2023)

Tourists per resident

How many tourists visit?

The Central African Republic welcomed 3.4 times as many tourists per resident as the DR Congo (2019)

Central African Republic: 0.02 (2019) · DR Congo: 0.01 (2019)

World Heritage sites

How many World Heritage sites?

The DR Congo has 3 more World Heritage sites than the Central African Republic (5 against 2)

Central African Republic: 2 (2026) · DR Congo: 5 (2026)

Olympic medals (all time)

How many Olympic medals has it won?

The Central African Republic and the DR Congo are practically level

Central African Republic: 0 (2026 edition) · DR Congo: 0 (2026 edition)

Connected

Online, electrified, urban

Internet users

How many people are online?

20% of people in the DR Congo are online, versus 14% in the Central African Republic

Central African Republic: 14% (2024) · DR Congo: 20% (2024)

Fixed broadband download speed

How fast is home internet?

Home internet in the Central African Republic is 1% faster than in the DR Congo

Central African Republic: 76 Mbps (2026) · DR Congo: 75 Mbps (2026)

Access to electricity

Who has electricity at home?

23% of people in the DR Congo have electricity, versus 18% in the Central African Republic

Central African Republic: 18.2% (2024) · DR Congo: 22.5% (2024)

Urban population

How many live in cities?

45% of people in the DR Congo live in cities, versus 45% in the Central African Republic

Central African Republic: 45% (2025) · DR Congo: 45% (2025)

Mobile subscriptions

How many phones per person?

The DR Congo has 59 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the Central African Republic 39

Central African Republic: 39 (2022) · DR Congo: 59 (2024)

Railway network

How much railway is there?

Central African Republic: no data · DR Congo: 3,641 km (2021)

Air passengers per resident

How much do they fly?

Central African Republic: no data · DR Congo: 0.01 (2023)

Planet

Air, forests and energy

Forest cover

How much of the land is forest?

Forest covers 72% of the Central African Republic, but only 62% of the DR Congo

Central African Republic: 72.5% (2024) · DR Congo: 61.5% (2024)

CO₂ per person

How much CO₂ does each person emit?

The average person in the Central African Republic emits 37% more CO₂ than someone in the DR Congo

Central African Republic: 0.1 t (2024) · DR Congo: 0.1 t (2024)

Renewable electricity

How green is the power grid?

The Central African Republic and the DR Congo are practically level

Central African Republic: 100% (2023) · DR Congo: 100% (2024)

Air pollution (PM2.5)

How clean is the air?

The air in the DR Congo carries 28% more fine dust than in the Central African Republic

Central African Republic: 32.3 µg/m³ (2024) · DR Congo: 41.2 µg/m³ (2024)

Where does the power come from?

Safety

Measured risk, not vibes

Road deaths

How dangerous are the roads?

Roads in the Central African Republic are 25% deadlier than in the DR Congo

Central African Republic: 29.6 per 100k (2023) · DR Congo: 23.7 per 100k (2023)

Climate

What the year feels like

Average temperature

How warm is it?

The Central African Republic is on average 1.8 °C warmer than the DR Congo

Central African Republic: 26.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · DR Congo: 24.8°C (2016–2025 avg)

Rainfall

How much rain falls?

The DR Congo gets 37% more rain than the Central African Republic

Central African Republic: 1,072 mm (2016–2025 avg) · DR Congo: 1,469 mm (2016–2025 avg)

What does the year feel like?

Between them

People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other

Who has moved between them?
Can they visit without a visa?
What do they sell each other?
Have they met on the pitch?
Time machine

Quick answers

Is the Central African Republic bigger than the DR Congo?

The DR Congo is larger. The Central African Republic fits inside the DR Congo 3.8 times.

Which has more people, the Central African Republic or the DR Congo?

The DR Congo has 20 times as many people as the Central African Republic (2025 estimates).

Where do people live longer, the Central African Republic or the DR Congo?

People in the DR Congo live 4.4 years longer than in the Central African Republic. Life expectancy at birth is 57.7 years in the Central African Republic and 62.1 in the DR Congo.

Are people taller in the Central African Republic or the DR Congo?

The Central African Republic and the DR Congo are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).

Keep duelling

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