Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The DR Congo fits inside China 4.1 times.
China: 9,562,910 km² (2023) · DR Congo: 2,344,860 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
China’s coastline is 392 times as long as the DR Congo’s.
China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · DR Congo: 37 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 3,739 m above the DR Congo’s.
China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · DR Congo: 5,110 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 12 times as many people as the DR Congo.
China: 1.41 billion (2025) · DR Congo: 113 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
China is 3 times as densely populated as the DR Congo.
China: 150 per km² (2025) · DR Congo: 50 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in China are 7.1 cm taller than in the DR Congo.
China: 175.7 cm (2019) · DR Congo: 168.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in China are 7.2 cm taller than in the DR Congo.
China: 163.5 cm (2019) · DR Congo: 156.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in China is 23 years older than in the DR Congo.
China: 39.1 years (2023) · DR Congo: 15.8 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the DR Congo have 5.0 more children on average than in China.
China: 1.01 children per woman (2024) · DR Congo: 5.98 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
15% of people in China are 65 or older, versus 3.1% in the DR Congo.
China: 14.9% (2025) · DR Congo: 3.1% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The DR Congo has produced 0.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, China 0.1.
China: 0.1 (2025) · DR Congo: 0.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
The DR Congo has 5 official languages, China 1.
China: 1 (2026) · DR Congo: 5 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 214 times the size of the DR Congo’s.
China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · DR Congo: $91 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
China produces 15 times as much per person as the DR Congo.
China: Int$29,333 (2025) · DR Congo: Int$1,920 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in the DR Congo than in China (Gini 8.7 points higher).
China: 36 (2022) · DR Congo: 44.7 (2020)
How many people are looking for work?
China and the DR Congo are practically level.
China: 4.6% (2025) · DR Congo: 4.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
China and the DR Congo are practically level.
China: 1.7% (2024) · DR Congo: 1.2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
China’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× the DR Congo’s.
China: 47% (2025) · DR Congo: 42% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
China spends 33 times as much on health per person as the DR Congo.
China: $763 (2023) · DR Congo: $23 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in China live 16 years longer than in the DR Congo.
China: 78 years (2024) · DR Congo: 62.1 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the DR Congo is 14 times as likely to die before turning one as in China.
China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · DR Congo: 56.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
China has 15 times as many doctors per person as the DR Congo.
China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · DR Congo: 0.2 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
9.1% of adults in China are obese, versus 5.9% in the DR Congo.
China: 9.1% (2024) · DR Congo: 5.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
23% of adults in China smoke, versus 12% in the DR Congo.
China: 22.8% (2024) · DR Congo: 12.3% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in China rate their lives 2.31 points higher than in the DR Congo.
China: 6.07 (2025) · DR Congo: 3.76 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in China drink 2.3 times as much alcohol as in the DR Congo.
China: 3.7 litres (2023) · DR Congo: 1.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
China has 21 times as much meat per person as the DR Congo.
China: 73.5 kg (2023) · DR Congo: 3.5 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
China has 1,512 kcal more food per person per day than the DR Congo.
China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · DR Congo: 2,015 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in China put in 487 more hours a year than in the DR Congo.
China: 2,328 hours (2023) · DR Congo: 1,841 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in China went to school 0.66 years longer than in the DR Congo.
China: 8 years (2023) · DR Congo: 7.4 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
China welcomed 9.1 times as many tourists per resident as the DR Congo (2019).
China: 0.05 (2019) · DR Congo: 0.01 (2019)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
92% of people in China are online, versus 20% in the DR Congo.
China: 92% (2025) · DR Congo: 20% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in China have electricity, versus 23% in the DR Congo.
China: 100% (2024) · DR Congo: 22.5% (2024)
How many live in cities?
66% of people in China live in cities, versus 45% in the DR Congo.
China: 66% (2025) · DR Congo: 45% (2025)
How many phones per person?
China has 132 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the DR Congo 59.
China: 132 (2024) · DR Congo: 59 (2024)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 30 times as long as the DR Congo’s.
China: 109,767 km (2021) · DR Congo: 3,641 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from China fly 43 times as many passengers per resident as those from the DR Congo.
China: 0.44 (2023) · DR Congo: 0.01 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 54% of the DR Congo, but only 24% of China.
China: 24% (2023) · DR Congo: 54.2% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in China emits 160 times as much CO₂ as someone in the DR Congo.
China: 8.7 t (2024) · DR Congo: 0.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
100% of the DR Congo’s electricity is renewable, versus 37% in China.
China: 37% (2025) · DR Congo: 100% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in the DR Congo carries 32% more fine dust than in China.
China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · DR Congo: 41.2 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · DR Congo: no data
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in China are 7% deadlier than in the DR Congo.
China: 17.4 per 100k (2021) · DR Congo: 16.3 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The DR Congo is on average 17.0 °C warmer than China.
China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · DR Congo: 24.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The DR Congo gets 81% more rain than China.
China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg) · DR Congo: 1,469 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is China bigger than the DR Congo?
China is larger. The DR Congo fits inside China 4.1 times.
Which has more people, China or the DR Congo?
China has 12 times as many people as the DR Congo (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, China or the DR Congo?
People in China live 16 years longer than in the DR Congo. Life expectancy at birth is 78.0 years in China and 62.1 in the DR Congo.
Are people taller in China or the DR Congo?
Men in China are 7.1 cm taller than in the DR Congo (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
