Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The DR Congo fits inside Russia 7.3 times.
DR Congo: 2,344,860 km² (2023) · Russia: 17,125,200 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Russia’s coastline is 1,018 times as long as the DR Congo’s.
DR Congo: 37 km (2026 edition) · Russia: 37,653 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Russia’s highest peak towers 532 m above the DR Congo’s.
DR Congo: 5,110 m (2026 edition) · Russia: 5,642 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Russia has 27% more people than the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 113 million (2025) · Russia: 144 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The DR Congo is 5.7 times as densely populated as Russia.
DR Congo: 50 per km² (2025) · Russia: 9 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Russia are 8.1 cm taller than in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 168.6 cm (2019) · Russia: 176.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Russia are 8.2 cm taller than in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 156.3 cm (2019) · Russia: 164.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Russia is 24 years older than in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 15.8 years (2023) · Russia: 39.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the DR Congo have 4.6 more children on average than in Russia.
DR Congo: 5.98 children per woman (2024) · Russia: 1.42 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
18% of people in Russia are 65 or older, versus 3.1% in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 3.1% (2025) · Russia: 17.8% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Russia has produced 2.0 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, the DR Congo 0.1.
DR Congo: 0.1 (2025) · Russia: 2 (2025)
How many official languages?
The DR Congo has 5 official languages, Russia 1.
DR Congo: 5 (2026) · Russia: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Russia’s economy is 28 times the size of the DR Congo’s.
DR Congo: $91 billion (2025) · Russia: $2.56 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Russia produces 26 times as much per person as the DR Congo.
DR Congo: Int$1,920 (2025) · Russia: Int$49,568 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in the DR Congo than in Russia (Gini 11.7 points higher).
DR Congo: 44.7 (2020) · Russia: 33 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.4% in the DR Congo, versus 2.1% in Russia.
DR Congo: 4.4% (2025) · Russia: 2.1% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Russia spends 7.1% of its GDP on the military, the DR Congo 1.2%.
DR Congo: 1.2% (2024) · Russia: 7.1% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The DR Congo’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Russia’s.
DR Congo: 42% (2025) · Russia: 35% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Russia spends 43 times as much on health per person as the DR Congo.
DR Congo: $23 (2023) · Russia: $1,003 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Russia live 11 years longer than in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 62.1 years (2024) · Russia: 73.4 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 Russia.
DR Congo: 56.4 per 1,000 (2024) · Russia: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Russia has 25 times as many doctors per person as the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 0.2 per 1,000 (2022) · Russia: 5.1 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
21% of adults in Russia are obese, versus 5.9% in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 5.9% (2024) · Russia: 21.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
27% of adults in Russia smoke, versus 12% in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 12.3% (2024) · Russia: 27% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Russia rate their lives 2.07 points higher than in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 3.76 (2025) · Russia: 5.83 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Russia drink 6.5 times as much alcohol as in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 1.6 litres (2023) · Russia: 10.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Russia has 24 times as much meat per person as the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 3.5 kg (2023) · Russia: 84.8 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Russia has 1,514 kcal more food per person per day than the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 2,015 kcal (2023) · Russia: 3,528 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Russia put in 246 more hours a year than in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 1,841 hours (2023) · Russia: 2,087 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Russia went to school 5 years longer than in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 7.4 years (2023) · Russia: 12.4 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
DR Congo: 0.01 (2019) · Russia: no data
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Russia are online, versus 20% in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 20% (2024) · Russia: 94% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Russia have electricity, versus 23% in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 22.5% (2024) · Russia: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
75% of people in Russia live in cities, versus 45% in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 45% (2025) · Russia: 75% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Russia has 186 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the DR Congo 59.
DR Congo: 59 (2024) · Russia: 186 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Russia’s railway network is 23 times as long as the DR Congo’s.
DR Congo: 3,641 km (2021) · Russia: 85,544 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Russia fly 68 times as many passengers per resident as those from the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 0.01 (2023) · Russia: 0.69 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 54% of the DR Congo, but only 50% of Russia.
DR Congo: 54.2% (2023) · Russia: 49.8% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Russia emits 228 times as much CO₂ as someone in the DR Congo.
DR Congo: 0.1 t (2024) · Russia: 12.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
100% of the DR Congo’s electricity is renewable, versus 17% in Russia.
DR Congo: 100% (2024) · Russia: 17.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in the DR Congo carries 3.2 times as much fine dust as in Russia.
DR Congo: 41.2 µg/m³ (2024) · Russia: 12.9 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
DR Congo: no data · Russia: 7.8 per 100k (2024)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in the DR Congo are 54% deadlier than in Russia.
DR Congo: 16.3 per 100k (2021) · Russia: 10.6 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The DR Congo is on average 27.4 °C warmer than Russia.
DR Congo: 24.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Russia: -2.6°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The DR Congo gets 2.5 times as much rain as Russia.
DR Congo: 1,469 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Russia: 586 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is the DR Congo bigger than Russia?
Russia is larger. The DR Congo fits inside Russia 7.3 times.
Which has more people, the DR Congo or Russia?
Russia has 27% more people than the DR Congo (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, the DR Congo or Russia?
People in Russia live 11 years longer than in the DR Congo. Life expectancy at birth is 62.1 years in the DR Congo and 73.4 in Russia.
Are people taller in the DR Congo or Russia?
Men in Russia are 8.1 cm taller than in the DR Congo (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
