Population in the largest city in Congo
Congo: Population in the largest city was 67.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in the largest city in Congo, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of urban population.
Analysis
Congo recorded 67.7% for population in the largest city in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and up 11.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in the largest city in Congo peaked at 67.7% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 31.9%, in 1960.
That places Congo 12th out of 153 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Population in the largest city in Congo, year by year
| Year | % of urban population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 31.9% | — |
| 1961 | 32.9% | +3.1% |
| 1962 | 34.2% | +3.9% |
| 1963 | 35.5% | +3.8% |
| 1964 | 36.8% | +3.7% |
| 1965 | 38.1% | +3.5% |
| 1966 | 39.4% | +3.4% |
| 1967 | 40.7% | +3.3% |
| 1968 | 42.0% | +3.2% |
| 1969 | 43.3% | +3.0% |
| 1970 | 44.5% | +2.9% |
| 1971 | 45.8% | +2.8% |
| 1972 | 47.1% | +2.8% |
| 1973 | 48.3% | +2.7% |
| 1974 | 49.4% | +2.3% |
| 1975 | 50.3% | +1.7% |
| 1976 | 50.9% | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 51.3% | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 51.6% | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 51.9% | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 52.2% | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 52.6% | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 53.2% | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 54.1% | +1.7% |
| 1984 | 55.1% | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 55.3% | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 55.0% | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 54.7% | -0.5% |
| 1988 | 54.5% | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 54.3% | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 54.1% | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 54.0% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 54.0% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 53.8% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 53.6% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 53.5% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 53.5% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 54.2% | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 54.9% | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 55.3% | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 55.0% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 54.8% | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 55.4% | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 55.8% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 55.9% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 56.0% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 56.0% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 56.2% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 56.6% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 56.7% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 56.6% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 57.1% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 57.8% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 58.8% | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 59.8% | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 60.8% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 61.9% | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 63.0% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 64.1% | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 64.7% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 65.3% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 65.9% | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 66.5% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 67.0% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 67.3% | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 67.7% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 37.5% | 31.9% | 43.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 49.1% | 44.5% | 51.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 54.1% | 52.2% | 55.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 54.1% | 53.5% | 55.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 55.9% | 54.8% | 56.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 60.5% | 56.6% | 64.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 66.6% | 65.3% | 67.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Congo
More urban development data for Congo
- Population density 18.11 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 36.54 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.6534 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 4.24 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 3.25 % 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 11.64 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 2.81 million (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 27.52 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in the largest city in Congo?
- Population in the largest city in Congo was 67.7% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in the largest city recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 67.7% in 2025.
- What is the lowest population in the largest city recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.9% in 1960.
- How does Congo rank for population in the largest city?
- Congo ranks 12th out of 153 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in the largest city rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Congo data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in the largest city (% of urban population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.