Population density in Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Democratic Republic of the: Population density was 46.66 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
46.66 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 3.3%
World rank
155th
of 215 countries
All-time high
46.66 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
All-time low
6.91 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in Congo, Democratic Republic of the, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
Congo, Democratic Republic of the recorded 46.66 people per sq. km of land area for population density in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 3.3% on the previous year and up 39.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Congo, Democratic Republic of the peaked at 46.66 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 6.91 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Congo, Democratic Republic of the 155th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population density in Congo, Democratic Republic of the, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 6.91 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 7.09 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1963 | 7.28 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1964 | 7.48 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1965 | 7.69 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1966 | 7.91 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1967 | 8.14 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1968 | 8.39 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1969 | 8.63 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1970 | 8.88 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1971 | 9.13 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1972 | 9.37 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1973 | 9.63 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1974 | 9.89 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1975 | 10.15 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1976 | 10.42 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1977 | 10.69 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1978 | 11.02 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1979 | 11.42 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1980 | 11.78 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1981 | 12.13 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1982 | 12.5 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1983 | 12.9 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1984 | 13.34 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 1985 | 13.79 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 1986 | 14.23 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1987 | 14.69 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1988 | 15.17 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1989 | 15.65 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1990 | 16.18 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 1991 | 16.73 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 1992 | 17.3 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 1993 | 17.93 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1994 | 18.8 people per sq. km of land area | +4.8% |
| 1995 | 19.6 people per sq. km of land area | +4.2% |
| 1996 | 19.98 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 20.3 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 20.86 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1999 | 21.58 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 2000 | 22.28 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 2001 | 23 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 23.71 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 24.41 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 25.14 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 25.93 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2006 | 26.74 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 27.56 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 28.4 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 29.29 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2010 | 30.24 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 31.25 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 32.31 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 33.43 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 2014 | 34.58 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 2015 | 35.74 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 37.03 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 2017 | 38.41 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 2018 | 39.72 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 41 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2020 | 42.34 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 43.73 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 2022 | 45.17 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 2023 | 46.66 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.72 people per sq. km of land area | 6.91 people per sq. km of land area | 8.63 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 10.06 people per sq. km of land area | 8.88 people per sq. km of land area | 11.42 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.62 people per sq. km of land area | 11.78 people per sq. km of land area | 15.65 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.93 people per sq. km of land area | 16.18 people per sq. km of land area | 21.58 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.65 people per sq. km of land area | 22.28 people per sq. km of land area | 29.29 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.37 people per sq. km of land area | 30.24 people per sq. km of land area | 41 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.48 people per sq. km of land area | 42.34 people per sq. km of land area | 46.66 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Congo, Democratic Republic of the
- 152 Djibouti 49.74 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 153 Turks and Caicos Islands 48.63 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 154 Colombia 47.16 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 156 Montenegro 46.36 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 157 Lithuania 45.87 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 158 Belarus 45.22 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Congo, Democratic Republic of the
- Population in the largest city 34.9% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 35.81 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 27.36 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.2425 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 4.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 11.07 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 17.78 million (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Congo, Democratic Republic of the?
- Population density in Congo, Democratic Republic of the was 46.66 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Congo, Democratic Republic of the?
- The highest recorded value was 46.66 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Congo, Democratic Republic of the?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.91 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Congo, Democratic Republic of the rank for population density?
- Congo, Democratic Republic of the ranks 155th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Congo, Democratic Republic of the?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Congo, Democratic Republic of the data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.