Congo, Democratic Republic of the

Introduction

Background

Established as an official Belgian colony in 1908, the then-Republic of the Congo gained its independence in 1960, but its early years were marred by political and social instability. Col. Joseph MOBUTU seized power and declared himself president in a November 1965 coup. He subsequently changed his name - to MOBUTU Sese Seko - as well as that of the country - to Zaire. MOBUTU retained his position for 32 years through several sham elections, as well as through brutal force. Ethnic strife and civil war, touched off by a massive inflow of refugees in 1994 from conflict in Rwanda and Burundi, led in May 1997 to the toppling of the MOBUTU regime by a rebellion backed by Rwanda and Uganda and fronted by Laurent KABILA. KABILA renamed the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), but in August 1998 his regime was itself challenged by a second insurrection again backed by Rwanda and Uganda. Troops from Angola, Chad, Namibia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe intervened to support KABILA's regime. In January 2001, KABILA was assassinated and his son, Joseph KABILA, was named head of state. In October 2002, the new president was successful in negotiating the withdrawal of Rwandan forces occupying the eastern DRC; two months later, the Pretoria Accord was signed by all remaining warring parties to end the fighting and establish a government of national unity. Presidential, National Assembly, and provincial legislatures took place in 2006, with Joseph KABILA elected to office.National elections were held in November 2011 and disputed results allowed Joseph KABILA to be reelected to the presidency. While the DRC constitution barred President KABILA from running for a third term, the DRC Government delayed national elections originally slated for November 2016, to 30 December 2018. This failure to hold elections as scheduled fueled significant civil and political unrest, with sporadic street protests by KABILA’s opponents and exacerbation of tensions in the tumultuous eastern DRC regions. Presidential, legislative, and provincial elections were held in late December 2018 and early 2019 across most of the country. The DRC Government canceled presidential elections in the cities of Beni and Butembo (citing concerns over an ongoing Ebola outbreak in the region) as well as Yumbi (which had recently experienced heavy violence).Opposition candidate Felix TSHISEKEDI was announced the election winner on 10 January 2019 and inaugurated two weeks later. This was the first transfer of power to an opposition candidate without significant violence or a coup since the DRC's independence. The DRC, particularly in the East, continues to experience violence perpetrated by over 100 armed groups active in the region, including the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), and assorted Mai Mai militias. The UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) has operated in the region since 1999 and is the largest and most expensive UN peacekeeping mission in the world. 

Geography

Location

Central Africa, northeast of Angola

Geographic coordinates

0 00 N, 25 00 E

Map references

Africa

Area

total: 2,344,858 sq km
land: 2,267,048 sq km
water: 77,810 sq km
country comparison to the world: 12

Area - comparative

slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US

Land boundaries

total: 10,481 km
border countries (9): Angola 2646 km (of which 225 km is the boundary of Angola's discontiguous Cabinda Province), Burundi 236 km, Central African Republic 1747 km, Republic of the Congo 1229 km, Rwanda 221 km, South Sudan 714 km, Tanzania 479 km, Uganda 877 km, Zambia 2332 km

Coastline

37 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12nm
exclusive economic zone: since 2011 the DRC has a Common Interest Zone agreement with Angola for the mutual development of off-shore resources

Climate

tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north of Equator - wet season (April to October), dry season (December to February); south of Equator - wet season (November to March), dry season (April to October)

Terrain

vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east

Elevation

mean elevation: 726 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pic Marguerite on Mont Ngaliema (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m

Natural resources

cobalt, copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, hydropower, timber

Land use

agricultural land: 11.4% (2011 est.)
arable land: 3.1% (2011 est.)/permanent crops: 0.3% (2011 est.)/permanent pasture: 8% (2011 est.)
forest: 67.9% (2011 est.)
other: 20.7% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land

110 sq km (2012)

Population distribution

urban clusters are spread throughout the country, particularly in the northeast along the boarder with Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi; the largest city is the capital, Kinshasha, located in the west along the Congo River; the south is least densely populated

Natural hazards

periodic droughts in south; Congo River floods (seasonal); active volcanoes in the east along the Great Rift Valley volcanism: Nyiragongo (3,470 m), which erupted in 2002 and is experiencing ongoing activity, poses a major threat to the city of Goma, home to a quarter million people; the volcano produces unusually fast-moving lava, known to travel up to 100 km /hr; Nyiragongo has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; its neighbor, Nyamuragira, which erupted in 2010, is Africa's most active volcano; Visoke is the only other historically active volcano

Environment - current issues

poaching threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; deforestation (forests endangered by fires set to clean the land for agricultural purposes; forests also used as a source of fuel); soil erosion; mining (diamonds, gold, coltan - a mineral used in creating capacitors for electronic devices) causing environmental damage

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note

note 1: second largest country in Africa (after Algeria) and largest country in Sub-Saharan Africa; straddles the equator; dense tropical rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands; the narrow strip of land that controls the lower Congo River is the DRC's only outlet to the South Atlantic Ocean note 2: because of its speed, cataracts, rapids, and turbulence the Congo River, most of which flows through the DRC, has never been accurately measured along much of its length; nonetheless, it is conceded to be the deepest river in the world; estimates of its greatest depth vary between 220 and 250 meters

People and Society

Population

85,281,024 (July 2018 est.)
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
country comparison to the world: 16

Nationality

noun: Congolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Congolese or Congo

Ethnic groups

over 200 African ethnic groups of which the majority are Bantu; the four largest tribes - Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu), and the Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) - make up about 45% of the population

Languages

French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba

Religions

Roman Catholic 29.9%, Protestant 26.7%, Kimbanguist 2.8%, other Christian 36.5%, Muslim 1.3%, other (includes syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs) 1.2%, none 1.3%, unspecified .2% (2014 est.)

Demographic profile

Despite a wealth of fertile soil, hydroelectric power potential, and mineral resources, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) struggles with many socioeconomic problems, including high infant and maternal mortality rates, malnutrition, poor vaccination coverage, lack of access to improved water sources and sanitation, and frequent and early fertility. Ongoing conflict, mismanagement of resources, and a lack of investment have resulted in food insecurity; almost 30 percent of children under the age of 5 are malnourished. The overall coverage of basic public services – education, health, sanitation, and potable water – is very limited and piecemeal, with substantial regional and rural/urban disparities. Fertility remains high at almost 5 children per woman and is likely to remain high because of the low use of contraception and the cultural preference for larger families.The DRC is a source and host country for refugees. Between 2012 and 2014, more than 119,000 Congolese refugees returned from the Republic of Congo to the relative stability of northwest DRC, but more than 540,000 Congolese refugees remained abroad as of year-end 2015. In addition, an estimated 3.9 million Congolese were internally displaced as of October 2017, the vast majority fleeing violence between rebel group and Congolese armed forces. Thousands of refugees have come to the DRC from neighboring countries, including Rwanda, the Central African Republic, and Burundi.

Age structure

0-14 years: 41.25%(male 17,735,697 /female 17,446,866)
15-24 years: 21.46%(male 9,184,871 /female 9,117,462)
25-54 years: 30.96%(male 13,176,714 /female 13,225,429)
55-64 years: 3.63%(male 1,472,758 /female 1,625,637)
65 years and over: 2.69%(male 974,293 /female 1,321,297) (2018 est.)
population pyramid:

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 97.5 (2015 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 91.5 (2015 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 6 (2015 est.)
potential support ratio: 16.8 (2015 est.)

Median age

total: 18.8 years (2018 est.)
male: 18.6 years
female: 19 years
country comparison to the world: 206

Population growth rate

2.33% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31

Birth rate

32.8 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29

Death rate

9.4 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50

Net migration rate

-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105

Population distribution

urban clusters are spread throughout the country, particularly in the northeast along the boarder with Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi; the largest city is the capital, Kinshasha, located in the west along the Congo River; the south is least densely populated

Urbanization

urban population: 45% of total population(2019)
rate of urbanization: 4.53% annual rate of change(2015-20 est.)

Major urban areas - population

13.743 million KINSHASA (capital), 2.413 million Mbuji-Mayi, 2.377 million Lubumbashi, 1.395 million Kananga, 1.213 million Kisangani, 1,025,000 Bukavu (2019)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.9 years (2013/14 est.)
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality rate

473 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23

Infant mortality rate

total: 66.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
male: 70.1 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 63.1 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 8

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 58.1 years (2018 est.)
male: 56.5 years
female: 59.7 years
country comparison to the world: 213

Total fertility rate

4.54 children born/woman (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25

Contraceptive prevalence rate

20.4% (2013/14)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 81.1% of population
rural: 31.2% of population
total: 52.4% of population
unimproved: urban: 18.9% of population
rural: 68.8% of population
total: 47.6% of population (2015 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

3.9% (2016)

Physicians density

0.09 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 28.5% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 28.7% of population (2015 est.)
total: 28.7% of population (2015 est.)
unimproved: urban: 71.5% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 71.3% of population (2015 est.)
total: 71.3% of population (2015 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.8% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

450,000 (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18

HIV/AIDS - deaths

13,000 (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high (2016)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016)
vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and trypanosomiasis-gambiense (African sleeping sickness) (2016)
water contact diseases: schistosomiasis (2016)
animal contact diseases: rabies (2016)
note - on 18 October 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Travel Health Notice for an Ebola outbreak in the South Kivu (Kivu Sud), North Kivu (Kivu Nord), and Ituri provinces in the northeastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; travelers to this area could be infected with Ebola if they come into contact with an infected person’s blood or other body fluids; travelers should seek medical care immediately if they develop fever, muscle pain, sore throat, diarrhea, weakness, vomiting, stomach pain, or unexplained bleeding or bruising during or after travel

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

6.7% (2016)
country comparison to the world: 164

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

23.4% (2013)
country comparison to the world: 23

Education expenditures

1.5% of GDP (2017)
country comparison to the world: 172

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write French, Lingala, Kingwana, or Tshiluba
total population: 77%
male: 88.5%
female: 66.5% (2016)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 10 years
male: 11 years
female: 9 years (2013)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 8.7%
male: 11.3%
female: 6.8% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137

Government

Country name

conventional long form: Democratic Republic of the Congo
conventional short form: DRC
local long form: Republique Democratique du Congo
local short form: RDC
former: Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo/Leopoldville, Congo/Kinshasa, Zaire
abbreviation: DRC (or DROC)
etymology: named for the Congo River, most of which lies within the DRC; the river name derives from Kongo, a Bantu kingdom that occupied its mouth at the time of Portuguese discovery in the late 15th century and whose name stems from its people the Bakongo, meaning "hunters"

Government type

semi-presidential republic

Capital

name: Kinshasa
geographic coordinates: 4 19 S, 15 18 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: founded as a trading post in 1881 and named Leopoldville in honor of King Leopold II of the Belgians, who controlled the Congo Free State, the vast central African territory that became the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1960; in 1966, Leopoldville was renamed Kinshasa, after a village of that name that once stood near the site

note: the DRC has two time zones

Administrative divisions

26 provinces (provinces, singular - province); Bas-Uele (Lower Uele), Equateur, Haut-Katanga (Upper Katanga), Haut-Lomami (Upper Lomami), Haut-Uele (Upper Uele), Ituri, Kasai, Kasai-Central, Kasai-Oriental (East Kasai), Kinshasa, Kongo Central, Kwango, Kwilu, Lomami, Lualaba, Mai-Ndombe, Maniema, Mongala, Nord-Kivu (North Kivu), Nord-Ubangi (North Ubangi), Sankuru, Sud-Kivu (South Kivu), Sud-Ubangi (South Ubangi), Tanganyika, Tshopo, Tshuapa

Independence

30 June 1960 (from Belgium)

National holiday

Independence Day, 30 June (1960)

Constitution

history: several previous; latest adopted 13 May 2005, approved by referendum 18-19 December 2005, promulgated 18 February 2006
amendments: proposed by the president of the republic, by the government, by either house of Parliament, or by public petition; agreement on the substance of a proposed bill requires absolute majority vote in both houses; passage requires a referendum only if both houses in joint meeting fail to achieve three-fifths majority vote; constitutional articles, including the form of government, universal suffrage, judicial independence, political pluralism, and personal freedoms, cannot be amended; amended 2011 (2017)

Legal system

civil law system primarily based on Belgian law, but also customary and tribal law

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch

chief of state: President Felix TSHISEKEDI (since 24 January 2019)
head of government: Prime Minister Sylvestre ILUNGA Ilunkamba (since 20 May 2019); Deputy Prime Ministers Jose MAKILA, Leonard She OKITUNDU, Henri MOVA Sankanyi (since February 2018)
cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president
elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 30 December 2018 (next to be held in December 2023); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Felix TSHISEKEDI elected president; percent of vote - Felix TSHISEKEDI (UDPS) 38.6%, Martin FAYULU (Lamuka coalition) 34.8%, Emmanuel Ramazani SHADARY (PPRD) 23.9%, other 2.7%; note - election marred by serious voting irregularities

Legislative branch

description: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of:
Senate (108 seats; members indirectly elected by provincial assemblies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

National Assembly (500 seats; 439 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 61 directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held on 19 January 2007 (follow-on election has been delayed)
National Assembly - last held on 30 December 2018
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPRD 22, MLC 14, FR 7, RCD 7, PDC 6, CDC 3, MSR 3, PALU 2, other 18, independent 26; composition - men 103, women 5, percent of women 4.6%

National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPRD 62, UDPS 41, PPPD 29, MSR 27, MLC 22, PALU 19, UNC 17, ARC 16, AFDC 15, ECT 11, RRC 11, other 214 (includes numerous political parties that won 10 or fewer seats and 2 constituencies where voting was halted), independent 16; composition - men 456, women 44, percent of women  8.8%; total Parliament percent of women 8.1%;note - the November 2011 election was marred by violence including the destruction of ballots in 2 constituencies resulting in the closure of polling sites; election results were delayed 3 months, strongly contested, and continue to be unresolved

Judicial branch

highest courts: Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (consists of 26 justices and organized into legislative and judiciary sections); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)
judge selection and term of office: Court of Cassation judges nominated by the Judicial Service Council, an independent body of public prosecutors and selected judges of the lower courts; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges - 3 nominated by the president, 3 by the Judicial Service Council, and 3 by the legislature; judges appointed by the president to serve 9-year non-renewable terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years
subordinate courts: State Security Court; Court of Appeals (organized into administrative and judiciary sections); Tribunal de Grande; magistrates' courts; customary courts

Political parties and leaders

Christian Democrat Party or PDC [Jose ENDUNDO]
Congolese Rally for Democracy or RCD [Azarias RUBERWA]
Convention of Christian Democrats or CDC
Engagement for Citizenship and Development or ECiDe [Martin FAYULU]
Forces of Renewal or FR [Mbusa NYAMWISI]
Lamuka coalition [Martin FAYULU] (includes ECiDe, MLC, Together for Change, CNB, and, Nouvel Elan)
Movement for the Liberation of the Congo or MLC [Jean-Pierre BEMBA]
Nouvel Elan [Adolphe MUZITO]
Our Congo or CNB ("Congo Na Biso") [Freddy MATUNGULU]
People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy or PPRD [Henri MOVA Sakanyi]
Social Movement for Renewal or MSR [Pierre LUMBI]
Together for Change (Ensemble") [Moise KATUMBI]
Unified Lumumbist Party or PALU [Antoine GIZENGA]
Union for the Congolese Nation or UNC [Vital KAMERHE]
Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Felix TSHISEKEDI]

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, CEMAC, CEPGL, COMESA, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

Ambassador Francois Nkuna BALUMUENE (since 23 September 2015)
chancery: 1100 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 725, Washington DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 234-7690 through 7691
FAX: [1] (202) 234-2609
representative office: New York New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Michael A. HAMMER (since 22 December 2018)
telephone: [243] 081 556-0151
embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa, Gombe
mailing address: Unit 2220, DPO AE 09828
FAX: [243] 81 556-0175

Flag description

sky blue field divided diagonally from the lower hoist corner to upper fly corner by a red stripe bordered by two narrow yellow stripes; a yellow, five-pointed star appears in the upper hoist corner; blue represents peace and hope, red the blood of the country's martyrs, and yellow the country's wealth and prosperity; the star symbolizes unity and the brilliant future for the country

National symbol(s)

leopard; national colors: sky blue, red, yellow

National anthem

name: "Debout Congolaise" (Arise Congolese)
lyrics/music: Joseph LUTUMBA/Simon-Pierre BOKA di Mpasi Londi
note: adopted 1960; replaced when the country was known as Zaire; but readopted in 1997

Economy

Economy - overview

The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - a nation endowed with vast natural resource wealth - continues to perform poorly. Systemic corruption since independence in 1960, combined with countrywide instability and intermittent conflict that began in the early-90s, has reduced national output and government revenue, and increased external debt. With the installation of a transitional government in 2003 after peace accords, economic conditions slowly began to improve as the government reopened relations with international financial institutions and international donors, and President KABILA began implementing reforms. Progress on implementing substantive economic reforms remains slow because of political instability, bureaucratic inefficiency, corruption, and patronage, which also dampen international investment prospects.Renewed activity in the mining sector, the source of most export income, boosted Kinshasa's fiscal position and GDP growth until 2015, but low commodity prices have led to slower growth, volatile inflation, currency depreciation, and a growing fiscal deficit. An uncertain legal framework, corruption, and a lack of transparency in government policy are long-term problems for the large mining sector and for the economy as a whole. Much economic activity still occurs in the informal sector and is not reflected in GDP data.Poverty remains widespread in DRC, and the country failed to meet any Millennium Development Goals by 2015. DRC also concluded its program with the IMF in 2015. The price of copper – the DRC’s primary export - plummeted in 2015 and remained at record lows during 2016-17, reducing government revenues, expenditures, and foreign exchange reserves, while inflation reached nearly 50% in mid-2017 – its highest level since the early 2000s.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$68.6 billion (2017 est.)
$66.33 billion (2016 est.)
$64.78 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 103

GDP (official exchange rate)

$41.44 billion (2017 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3.4% (2017 est.)
2.4% (2016 est.)
6.9% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$800 (2017 est.)
$800 (2016 est.)
$800 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 226

Gross national saving

11.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
8.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
16.5% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 78.5% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 12.7% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 15.9% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 25.7% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -32.8% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 19.7% (2017 est.)
industry: 43.6% (2017 est.)
services: 36.7% (2017 est.)

Agriculture - products

coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, cotton, cocoa, quinine, cassava (manioc, tapioca), bananas, plantains, peanuts, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products

Industries

mining (copper, cobalt, gold, diamonds, coltan, zinc, tin, tungsten), mineral processing, consumer products (textiles, plastics, footwear, cigarettes), metal products, processed foods and beverages, timber, cement, commercial ship repair

Industrial production growth rate

1.6% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140

Labor force

31.36 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: NA
industry: NA
services: NA

Unemployment rate

NA

Population below poverty line

63% (2014 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 34.7% (2006)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

42.1 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53

Budget

revenues: 4.634 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: 5.009 billion (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

11.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 211

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-0.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72

Public debt

18.1% of GDP (2017 est.)
19.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 192

Fiscal year

calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

41.5% (2017 est.)
18.2% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 224

Central bank discount rate

20% (31 December 2017)
20% (31 December 2011)
country comparison to the world: 4

Commercial bank prime lending rate

20.62% (31 December 2017 est.)
19.05% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13

Stock of narrow money

$1.044 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.192 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157

Stock of broad money

$1.044 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.192 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162

Stock of domestic credit

$3.252 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$3.582 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136

Market value of publicly traded shares

NA

Current account balance

-$200 million (2017 est.)
-$1.215 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98

Exports

$10.98 billion (2017 est.)
$8.228 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90

Exports - partners

China 41.4%, Zambia 22.7%, South Korea 7.2%, Finland 6.2% (2017)

Exports - commodities

diamonds, copper, gold, cobalt, wood products, crude oil, coffee

Imports

$10.82 billion (2017 est.)
$10.21 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels

Imports - partners

China 19.9%, South Africa 18%, Zambia 10.4%, Belgium 9.1%, India 4.3%, Tanzania 4.2% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$457.5 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$708.2 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155

Debt - external

$4.963 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$5.35 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134

Exchange rates

Congolese francs (CDF) per US dollar -
1,546.8 (2017 est.)
1,010.3 (2016 est.)
1,010.3 (2015 est.)
925.99 (2014 est.)
925.23 (2013 est.)

Energy

Electricity access

population without electricity: 69 million (2017)
electrification - total population: 17.1% (2016)
electrification - urban areas: 47.2% (2016)
electrification - rural areas: 0.4% (2016)

Electricity - production

9.046 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106

Electricity - consumption

7.43 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106

Electricity - exports

422 million kWh (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70

Electricity - imports

20 million kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113

Electricity - installed generating capacity

2.587 million kW (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105

Electricity - from fossil fuels

2% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 210

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

98% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182

Crude oil - production

17,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68

Crude oil - exports

20,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112

Crude oil - proved reserves

180 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132

Refined petroleum products - consumption

21,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145

Refined petroleum products - imports

21,140 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108

Natural gas - proved reserves

991.1 million cu m (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

3.146 million Mt (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: NA
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: NA (2017 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 35,270,156
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 42 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39

Telephone system

general assessment: barely adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in and between urban areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations; inadequate fixed-line infrastructure; efforts have been made to improve regulating the telecom sector; wars and social upheaval have not promoted advancement; a revised Telecommunications Act adopted in May 2018 (2018)
domestic: fixed-line connections only about 8 per 100 persons; given the backdrop of a wholly inadequate fixed-line infrastructure, the use of mobile-cellular services has surged and mobile teledensity is over 42 per 100 persons (2018)
international: country code - 243;ACE and WACS submarine cables to West and South Africa and Europe; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); the country was finally connected to low-cost, high-quality international bandwidth through the WACS submarine fiber optic cable in 2013, and SCPT is rolling out a fiber optic national backbone network with support from China (2019)

Broadcast media

state-owned TV broadcast station with near national coverage; more than a dozen privately owned TV stations - 2 with near national coverage; 2 state-owned radio stations are supplemented by more than 100 private radio stations; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available

Internet country code

.cd

Internet users

total: 3.016 million
percent of population: 3.8% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 1,000
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191

Military and Security

Military expenditures

0.67% of GDP (2018)
0.74% of GDP (2017)
1.34% of GDP (2016)
1.36% of GDP (2015)
1% of GDP (2014)
country comparison to the world: 138

Military and security forces

Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Forces d'Armees de la Republique Democratique du Congo, FARDC): Land Forces, National Navy (La Marine Nationale), Congolese Air Force (Force Aerienne Congolaise, FAC);  Republican Guard (responsible for presidential security) (2019)

Military service age and obligation

18-45 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service (2012)

Military - note

MONUSCO, the United Nations peacekeeping and stabilization force in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has operated in the central and eastern parts of the country since 1999; as of March 2019, MONUSCO comprised around 20,000 personnel, including more than 15,000 military troops (2019)

Transportation

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 8 (2015)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 13 (2015)
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 476,352 (2015)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 85,839mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

9Q (2016)

Airports

198 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 27

Airports - with paved runways

total: 26 (2017)
over 3,047 m: 3 (2017)
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2017)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 17 (2017)
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2017)
under 914 m: 1 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 172 (2013)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 20 (2013)
914 to 1,523 m: 87 (2013)
under 914 m: 65 (2013)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Pipelines

62 km gas, 77 km oil, 756 km refined products (2013)

Railways

total: 4,007 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 3,882 km1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified) (2014)
125 1.000-m gauge
country comparison to the world: 48

Roadways

total: 152,373 km (2015)
paved: 3,047 km (2015)
unpaved: 149,326 km (2015)
urban: 7,400 km (2015)
non-urban: 144,973 km
country comparison to the world: 34

Waterways

15,000 km(including the Congo River, its tributaries, and unconnected lakes) (2011)
country comparison to the world: 8

Merchant marine

total: 27
by type: general cargo 12, oil tanker 1, other 14 (2018)
country comparison to the world: 131

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Banana
river or lake port(s): Boma, Bumba, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka (Congo)
Kindu (Lualaba)Bukavu, Goma (Lake Kivu)Kalemie (Lake Tanganyika)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international

heads of the Great Lakes states and UN pledged in 2004 to abate tribal, rebel, and militia fighting in the region, including northeast Congo, where the UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), organized in 1999, maintains over 16,500 uniformed peacekeepers; members of Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army forces continue to seek refuge in Congo's Garamba National Park as peace talks with the Uganda Government evolve; the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with the Republic of the Congo is indefinite except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area; Uganda and DRC dispute Rukwanzi Island in Lake Albert and other areas on the Semliki River with hydrocarbon potential; boundary commission continues discussions over Congolese-administered triangle of land on the right bank of the Lunkinda River claimed by Zambia near the DRC village of Pweto; DRC accuses Angola of shifting monuments

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 216,018 (Rwanda), 173,185 (Central African Republic), 98,691 (South Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers), 46,069 (Burundi) (2019)
IDPs: 3.1 million (fighting between government forces and rebels since mid-1990s; conflict in Kasai region since 2016) (2018)

Trafficking in persons

current situation: The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a source, destination, and possibly a transit country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; the majority of this trafficking is internal, and much of it is perpetrated by armed groups and rogue government forces outside official control in the country's unstable eastern provinces; Congolese adults are subjected to forced labor, including debt bondage, in unlicensed mines, and women may be forced into prostitution; Congolese women and girls are subjected to forced marriages where they are vulnerable to domestic servitude or sex trafficking, while children are forced to work in agriculture, mining, mineral smuggling, vending, portering, and begging; Congolese women and children migrate to countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe where some are subjected to forced prostitution, domestic servitude, and forced labor in agriculture and diamond mining; indigenous and foreign armed groups, including the Lord’s Resistance Army, abduct and forcibly recruit Congolese adults and children to serve as laborers, porters, domestics, combatants, and sex slaves; some elements of the Congolese national army (FARDC) also forced adults to carry supplies, equipment, and looted goods, but no cases of the FARDC recruiting child soldiers were reported in 2014 – a significant change
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - The Democratic Republic of the Congo does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government took significant steps to hold military and police officials complicit in human trafficking accountable with convictions for sex slavery and arrests of armed group commanders for the recruitment and use of child soldiers; the government appears to have ceased the recruitment of child soldiers through the implementation of a UN-backed action plan; little effort was made to address labor and sex trafficking crimes committed by persons other than officials, or to identify the victims, or to provide or refer the victims to care services; awareness of various forms of trafficking is limited among law enforcement personnel and training and resources are inadequate to conduct investigations (2015)

Illicit drugs

traffickers exploit lax shipping controls to transit pseudoephedrine through the capital; while rampant corruption and inadequate supervision leave the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center

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