The duel
Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The Philippines fits inside the DR Congo 7.8 times
DR Congo: 2,345,410 km² (2024) · Philippines: 300,000 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
The Philippines’ coastline is 981 times as long as the DR Congo’s
DR Congo: 37 km (2026 edition) · Philippines: 36,289 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The DR Congo’s highest peak towers 2,156 m above the Philippines’
DR Congo: 5,110 m (2026 edition) · Philippines: 2,954 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 43% of the Philippines, versus 16% of the DR Congo
DR Congo: 16.2% (2024) · Philippines: 42.7% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The Philippines has 4% more people than the DR Congo
DR Congo: 113 million (2025) · Philippines: 117 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The Philippines is 7.9 times as densely populated as the DR Congo
DR Congo: 50 per km² (2025) · Philippines: 392 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in the DR Congo are 3.4 cm taller than in the Philippines
DR Congo: 168.6 cm (2019) · Philippines: 165.2 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in the DR Congo are 2.2 cm taller than in the Philippines
DR Congo: 156.3 cm (2019) · Philippines: 154.1 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in the Philippines is 9.5 years older than in the DR Congo
DR Congo: 15.8 years (2023) · Philippines: 25.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the DR Congo have 4.1 more children on average than in the Philippines
DR Congo: 5.98 children per woman (2024) · Philippines: 1.89 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
5.7% of people in the Philippines are 65 or older, versus 3.1% in the DR Congo
DR Congo: 3.1% (2025) · Philippines: 5.7% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
The DR Congo hosts 505 times as many refugees per resident as the Philippines
DR Congo: 4.5 per 1,000 (2025) · Philippines: 0.0088 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The DR Congo has produced 0.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, the Philippines 0.1
DR Congo: 0.1 (2026) · Philippines: 0.1 (2026)
How many official languages?
The DR Congo has 5 official languages, the Philippines 2
DR Congo: 5 (2026) · Philippines: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The Philippines’ economy is 5.4 times the size of the DR Congo’s
DR Congo: $91 billion (2025) · Philippines: $487 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The Philippines produces 6.6 times as much per person as the DR Congo
DR Congo: Int$1,920 (2025) · Philippines: Int$12,577 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in the DR Congo than in the Philippines (Gini 5.4 points higher)
DR Congo: 44.7 (2020) · Philippines: 39.3 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
85% of people in the DR Congo live on less than $3 a day, versus 5.3% in the Philippines
DR Congo: 85.3% (2020) · Philippines: 5.3% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.4% in the DR Congo, versus 2.2% in the Philippines
DR Congo: 4.4% (2025) · Philippines: 2.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The DR Congo and the Philippines are practically level
DR Congo: 1.4% (2025) · Philippines: 1.3% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
The Philippines’ central government collects 14% of GDP in tax, the DR Congo’s 11%
DR Congo: 10.7% (2022) · Philippines: 14.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The DR Congo’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× the Philippines’
DR Congo: 42% (2025) · Philippines: 33% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The Philippines spends 8.3 times as much on health per person as the DR Congo
DR Congo: $23 (2023) · Philippines: $194 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in the Philippines live 7.9 years longer than in the DR Congo
DR Congo: 62.1 years (2024) · Philippines: 69.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the DR Congo is 2.6 times as likely to die before turning one as in the Philippines
DR Congo: 56.4 per 1,000 (2024) · Philippines: 21.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
The Philippines has 3.8 times as many doctors per person as the DR Congo
DR Congo: 0.2 per 1,000 (2022) · Philippines: 0.8 per 1,000 (2021)
How many hospital beds are there?
DR Congo: no data · Philippines: 1 per 1,000 (2021)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in the DR Congo is 5.8 times that in the Philippines
DR Congo: 18 per 100k (2023) · Philippines: 3.1 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
9.7% of adults in the Philippines are obese, versus 5.9% in the DR Congo
DR Congo: 5.9% (2024) · Philippines: 9.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
20% of adults in the Philippines smoke, versus 12% in the DR Congo
DR Congo: 12.3% (2024) · Philippines: 19.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the Philippines rate their lives 2.45 points higher than in the DR Congo
DR Congo: 3.76 (2025) · Philippines: 6.21 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in the Philippines drink 3.8 times as much alcohol as in the DR Congo
DR Congo: 1.6 litres (2023) · Philippines: 6.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The Philippines has 9.6 times as much meat per person as the DR Congo
DR Congo: 3.5 kg (2023) · Philippines: 33.6 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The Philippines has 968 kcal more food per person per day than the DR Congo
DR Congo: 2,015 kcal (2023) · Philippines: 2,983 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in the Philippines put in 255 more hours a year than in the DR Congo
DR Congo: 1,841 hours (2023) · Philippines: 2,096 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the Philippines went to school 2.6 years longer than in the DR Congo
DR Congo: 7.4 years (2023) · Philippines: 10 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
The Philippines welcomed 4.5 times as many tourists per resident as the DR Congo (2019)
DR Congo: 0.01 (2019) · Philippines: 0.02 (2022)
How many World Heritage sites?
The Philippines has 1 more World Heritage site than the DR Congo (6 against 5)
DR Congo: 5 (2026) · Philippines: 6 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
The Philippines has won 18 Olympic medals, the DR Congo none
DR Congo: 0 (2026 edition) · Philippines: 18 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
67% of people in the Philippines are online, versus 20% in the DR Congo
DR Congo: 20% (2024) · Philippines: 67% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in the Philippines is 2.2 times as fast as in the DR Congo
DR Congo: 75 Mbps (2026) · Philippines: 166 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
95% of people in the Philippines have electricity, versus 23% in the DR Congo
DR Congo: 22.5% (2024) · Philippines: 94.8% (2024)
How many live in cities?
56% of people in the Philippines live in cities, versus 45% in the DR Congo
DR Congo: 45% (2025) · Philippines: 56% (2025)
How many phones per person?
The Philippines has 115 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the DR Congo 59
DR Congo: 59 (2024) · Philippines: 115 (2024)
How much railway is there?
The DR Congo’s railway network is 7.2 times as long as the Philippines’
DR Congo: 3,641 km (2021) · Philippines: 509 km (2016)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the Philippines fly 35 times as many passengers per resident as those from the DR Congo
DR Congo: 0.01 (2023) · Philippines: 0.36 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 62% of the DR Congo, but only 25% of the Philippines
DR Congo: 61.5% (2024) · Philippines: 24.8% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the Philippines emits 28 times as much CO₂ as someone in the DR Congo
DR Congo: 0.1 t (2024) · Philippines: 1.5 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
100% of the DR Congo’s electricity is renewable, versus 23% in the Philippines
DR Congo: 100% (2024) · Philippines: 23.3% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in the DR Congo carries 78% more fine dust than in the Philippines
DR Congo: 41.2 µg/m³ (2024) · Philippines: 23.1 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
DR Congo: no data · Philippines: 4.3 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in the DR Congo are 72% deadlier than in the Philippines
DR Congo: 23.7 per 100k (2023) · Philippines: 13.8 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The Philippines is on average 1.5 °C warmer than the DR Congo
DR Congo: 24.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Philippines: 26.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The Philippines gets 2 times as much rain as the DR Congo
DR Congo: 1,469 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Philippines: 3,001 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is the DR Congo bigger than the Philippines?
The DR Congo is larger. The Philippines fits inside the DR Congo 7.8 times.
Which has more people, the DR Congo or the Philippines?
The Philippines has 4% more people than the DR Congo (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, the DR Congo or the Philippines?
People in the Philippines live 7.9 years longer than in the DR Congo. Life expectancy at birth is 62.1 years in the DR Congo and 69.9 in the Philippines.
Are people taller in the DR Congo or the Philippines?
Men in the DR Congo are 3.4 cm taller than in the Philippines (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
