Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Nigeria fits inside the DR Congo 2.5 times.
DR Congo: 2,344,860 km² (2023) · Nigeria: 923,770 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Nigeria’s coastline is 23 times as long as the DR Congo’s.
DR Congo: 37 km (2026 edition) · Nigeria: 853 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The DR Congo’s highest peak towers 2,691 m above Nigeria’s.
DR Congo: 5,110 m (2026 edition) · Nigeria: 2,419 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Nigeria has 2.1 times as many people as the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 113 million (2025) · Nigeria: 238 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Nigeria is 5.2 times as densely populated as the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 50 per km² (2025) · Nigeria: 261 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Nigeria are 3.0 cm taller than in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 168.6 cm (2019) · Nigeria: 171.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Nigeria are 1.8 cm taller than in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 156.3 cm (2019) · Nigeria: 158.1 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Nigeria is 2 years older than in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 15.8 years (2023) · Nigeria: 17.8 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the DR Congo have 1.6 more children on average than in Nigeria.
DR Congo: 5.98 children per woman (2024) · Nigeria: 4.38 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
The DR Congo and Nigeria are practically level.
DR Congo: 3.1% (2025) · Nigeria: 3.1% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The DR Congo has produced 0.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Nigeria 0.0.
DR Congo: 0.1 (2025) · Nigeria: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
The DR Congo has 5 official languages, Nigeria 1.
DR Congo: 5 (2026) · Nigeria: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Nigeria’s economy is 3.2 times the size of the DR Congo’s.
DR Congo: $91 billion (2025) · Nigeria: $291 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Nigeria produces 5 times as much per person as the DR Congo.
DR Congo: Int$1,920 (2025) · Nigeria: Int$9,532 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in the DR Congo than in Nigeria (Gini 10.8 points higher).
DR Congo: 44.7 (2020) · Nigeria: 33.9 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.4% in the DR Congo, versus 3.1% in Nigeria.
DR Congo: 4.4% (2025) · Nigeria: 3.1% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The DR Congo spends 1.2% of its GDP on the military, Nigeria 0.6%.
DR Congo: 1.2% (2024) · Nigeria: 0.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The DR Congo’s price level (US = 100) is 3.3× Nigeria’s.
DR Congo: 42% (2025) · Nigeria: 13% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Nigeria spends 2.9 times as much on health per person as the DR Congo.
DR Congo: $23 (2023) · Nigeria: $67 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in the DR Congo live 7.4 years longer than in Nigeria.
DR Congo: 62.1 years (2024) · Nigeria: 54.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Nigeria is 24% more likely to die before turning one than in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 56.4 per 1,000 (2024) · Nigeria: 69.8 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Nigeria has 83% more doctors per person than the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 0.2 per 1,000 (2022) · Nigeria: 0.4 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
12% of adults in Nigeria are obese, versus 5.9% in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 5.9% (2024) · Nigeria: 12.1% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
12% of adults in the DR Congo smoke, versus 3.1% in Nigeria.
DR Congo: 12.3% (2024) · Nigeria: 3.1% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Nigeria rate their lives 1.03 points higher than in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 3.76 (2025) · Nigeria: 4.79 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Nigeria drink 27% more alcohol than in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 1.6 litres (2023) · Nigeria: 2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Nigeria has 2 times as much meat per person as the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 3.5 kg (2023) · Nigeria: 7.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Nigeria has 455 kcal more food per person per day than the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 2,015 kcal (2023) · Nigeria: 2,470 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Nigeria put in 221 more hours a year than in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 1,841 hours (2023) · Nigeria: 2,062 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Nigeria went to school 0.21 years longer than in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 7.4 years (2023) · Nigeria: 7.6 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
The DR Congo welcomed 2.2 times as many tourists per resident as Nigeria (2019).
DR Congo: 0.01 (2019) · Nigeria: 0 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
41% of people in Nigeria are online, versus 20% in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 20% (2024) · Nigeria: 41% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
63% of people in Nigeria have electricity, versus 23% in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 22.5% (2024) · Nigeria: 62.5% (2024)
How many live in cities?
64% of people in Nigeria live in cities, versus 45% in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 45% (2025) · Nigeria: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Nigeria has 71 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the DR Congo 59.
DR Congo: 59 (2024) · Nigeria: 71 (2024)
How much railway is there?
The DR Congo’s railway network is 3% longer than Nigeria’s.
DR Congo: 3,641 km (2021) · Nigeria: 3,528 km (2015)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Nigeria fly 2.2 times as many passengers per resident as those from the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 0.01 (2023) · Nigeria: 0.02 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 54% of the DR Congo, but only 23% of Nigeria.
DR Congo: 54.2% (2023) · Nigeria: 23.2% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Nigeria emits 11 times as much CO₂ as someone in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 0.1 t (2024) · Nigeria: 0.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
100% of the DR Congo’s electricity is renewable, versus 31% in Nigeria.
DR Congo: 100% (2024) · Nigeria: 31.3% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Nigeria carries 21% more fine dust than in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 41.2 µg/m³ (2024) · Nigeria: 50 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
DR Congo: no data · Nigeria: 15.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Nigeria are 6% deadlier than in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 16.3 per 100k (2021) · Nigeria: 17.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Nigeria is on average 2.6 °C warmer than the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 24.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Nigeria: 27.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The DR Congo gets 41% more rain than Nigeria.
DR Congo: 1,469 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Nigeria: 1,044 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is the DR Congo bigger than Nigeria?
The DR Congo is larger. Nigeria fits inside the DR Congo 2.5 times.
Which has more people, the DR Congo or Nigeria?
Nigeria has 2.1 times as many people as the DR Congo (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, the DR Congo or Nigeria?
People in the DR Congo live 7.4 years longer than in Nigeria. Life expectancy at birth is 62.1 years in the DR Congo and 54.6 in Nigeria.
Are people taller in the DR Congo or Nigeria?
Men in Nigeria are 3.0 cm taller than in the DR Congo (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
