Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The Congo fits inside the DR Congo 6.9 times.
Congo: 342,000 km² (2023) · DR Congo: 2,344,860 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
The Congo’s coastline is 4.6 times as long as the DR Congo’s.
Congo: 169 km (2026 edition) · DR Congo: 37 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The DR Congo’s highest peak towers 4,090 m above the Congo’s.
Congo: 1,020 m (2026 edition) · DR Congo: 5,110 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The DR Congo has 17 times as many people as the Congo.
Congo: 6.48 million (2025) · DR Congo: 113 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The DR Congo is 2.6 times as densely populated as the Congo.
Congo: 19 per km² (2025) · DR Congo: 50 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in the Congo are 2.6 cm taller than in the DR Congo.
Congo: 171.2 cm (2019) · DR Congo: 168.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in the Congo are 2.5 cm taller than in the DR Congo.
Congo: 158.8 cm (2019) · DR Congo: 156.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in the Congo is 2.5 years older than in the DR Congo.
Congo: 18.3 years (2023) · DR Congo: 15.8 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the DR Congo have 1.9 more children on average than in the Congo.
Congo: 4.11 children per woman (2024) · DR Congo: 5.98 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
The DR Congo and the Congo are practically level.
Congo: 3.1% (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, the Congo 0.0.
Congo: 0 (2025) · DR Congo: 0.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
The DR Congo has 5 official languages, the Congo 3.
Congo: 3 (2026) · DR Congo: 5 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The DR Congo’s economy is 5.6 times the size of the Congo’s.
Congo: $16.3 billion (2025) · DR Congo: $91 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The Congo produces 3.8 times as much per person as the DR Congo.
Congo: Int$7,248 (2025) · DR Congo: Int$1,920 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Congo: no data · DR Congo: 44.7 (2020)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 20% in the Congo, versus 4.4% in the DR Congo.
Congo: 19.9% (2025) · DR Congo: 4.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The DR Congo and the Congo are practically level.
Congo: 1.2% (2024) · DR Congo: 1.2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The DR Congo’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× the Congo’s.
Congo: 35% (2025) · DR Congo: 42% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The Congo spends 3.2 times as much on health per person as the DR Congo.
Congo: $76 (2023) · DR Congo: $23 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in the Congo live 3.9 years longer than in the DR Congo.
Congo: 66 years (2024) · DR Congo: 62.1 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the DR Congo is 2.1 times as likely to die before turning one as in the Congo.
Congo: 27 per 1,000 (2024) · DR Congo: 56.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
The DR Congo has 20% more doctors per person than the Congo.
Congo: 0.2 per 1,000 (2022) · DR Congo: 0.2 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
12% of adults in the Congo are obese, versus 5.9% in the DR Congo.
Congo: 11.5% (2024) · DR Congo: 5.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
16% of adults in the Congo smoke, versus 12% in the DR Congo.
Congo: 16.2% (2024) · DR Congo: 12.3% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the Congo rate their lives 0.70 points higher than in the DR Congo.
Congo: 4.46 (2025) · DR Congo: 3.76 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in the Congo drink 2.4 times as much alcohol as in the DR Congo.
Congo: 3.9 litres (2023) · DR Congo: 1.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The Congo has 16 times as much meat per person as the DR Congo.
Congo: 55.8 kg (2023) · DR Congo: 3.5 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The Congo has 172 kcal more food per person per day than the DR Congo.
Congo: 2,187 kcal (2023) · DR Congo: 2,015 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in the Congo put in 693 more hours a year than in the DR Congo.
Congo: 2,534 hours (2023) · DR Congo: 1,841 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the Congo went to school 0.94 years longer than in the DR Congo.
Congo: 8.3 years (2023) · DR Congo: 7.4 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
The Congo welcomed 5.5 times as many tourists per resident as the DR Congo (2019).
Congo: 0.03 (2018) · DR Congo: 0.01 (2019)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
47% of people in the Congo are online, versus 20% in the DR Congo.
Congo: 47% (2024) · DR Congo: 20% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
53% of people in the Congo have electricity, versus 23% in the DR Congo.
Congo: 53% (2024) · DR Congo: 22.5% (2024)
How many live in cities?
64% of people in the Congo live in cities, versus 45% in the DR Congo.
Congo: 64% (2025) · DR Congo: 45% (2025)
How many phones per person?
The Congo has 96 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the DR Congo 59.
Congo: 96 (2024) · DR Congo: 59 (2024)
How much railway is there?
The DR Congo’s railway network is 4.1 times as long as the Congo’s.
Congo: 893 km (2012) · DR Congo: 3,641 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the Congo fly 2.2 times as many passengers per resident as those from the DR Congo.
Congo: 0.02 (2023) · DR Congo: 0.01 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 64% of the Congo, but only 54% of the DR Congo.
Congo: 64.1% (2023) · DR Congo: 54.2% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the Congo emits 26 times as much CO₂ as someone in the DR Congo.
Congo: 1.4 t (2024) · DR Congo: 0.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
100% of the DR Congo’s electricity is renewable, versus 21% in the Congo.
Congo: 20.9% (2024) · DR Congo: 100% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in the DR Congo carries 2% more fine dust than in the Congo.
Congo: 40.3 µg/m³ (2024) · DR Congo: 41.2 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in the DR Congo are 94% deadlier than in the Congo.
Congo: 8.4 per 100k (2021) · DR Congo: 16.3 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The Congo is on average 0.5 °C warmer than the DR Congo.
Congo: 25.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · DR Congo: 24.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The Congo gets 1% more rain than the DR Congo.
Congo: 1,486 mm (2016–2025 avg) · DR Congo: 1,469 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is the Congo bigger than the DR Congo?
The DR Congo is larger. The Congo fits inside the DR Congo 6.9 times.
Which has more people, the Congo or the DR Congo?
The DR Congo has 17 times as many people as the Congo (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, the Congo or the DR Congo?
People in the Congo live 3.9 years longer than in the DR Congo. Life expectancy at birth is 66.0 years in the Congo and 62.1 in the DR Congo.
Are people taller in the Congo or the DR Congo?
Men in the Congo are 2.6 cm taller than in the DR Congo (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
