Democratic Republic of the Congo — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Democratic Republic of the Congo: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
DRC — in Central Africa, northeast of Angola. Political status: semi-presidential republic. It covers 2,344,858 sq km. Terrain: vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east. 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).
| Capital | Kinshasa |
|---|---|
| Population | 119,038,825 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $164.367 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $1,500 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 6.7% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 41.5% (2017 est.) |
| Unemployment | 4.6% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 16% of GDP (2022 est.) |
| Exports | $29.65 billion (2023 est.) |
| Imports | $33.68 billion (2023 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 62.6 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 16.9 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 47.4% of total population (2023) |
| Government | semi-presidential republic |
| Independence | 30 June 1960 (from Belgium) |
| Languages | French (official), Lingala (a trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba |
Democratic Republic of the Congo’s GDP is $164.367 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $70.749 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 6.7% (2024 est.). See where Democratic Republic of the Congo ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
The quarter passed without decisive turns. Governance continued, markets functioned, and the score reflects that uneventfulness.
For countries like this, the real story is always the slow one — and this quarter added no new chapter to it.
- What our model rewards: public debt under 16% of GDP — room to maneuver; unemployment near 4.6% — work for whoever wants it
- What drags it down: inflation running at 41.5% — eating paychecks; fertility of 5.4 children per woman — far above replacement, a cradle overflowing faster than schools can keep up
Cobalt, Copper, Niobium, Tantalum, Oil, Diamonds, Gold, Silver, Zinc, Manganese, Tin, Uranium, Coal, Hydropower, Timber.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 21.5% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | solar: 13.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 86% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 1.305 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2024.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $29.65 billion (2023 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $33.68 billion (2023 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Deficit of $4.0 billion (2023), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key 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 |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Félix Tshisekedi — President. President Felix TSHISEKEDI (since 20 January 2024)
Democratic Republic of the Congo maintains 58 embassies and 2 consulates abroad, hosts 57 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 58 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 2 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 57 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, March 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18917562
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 37 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 273 + 1 heliports (registration prefix 9Q) |
| Major seaports | Banana, Boma, Matadi |
| Railways | 4007 km |
Major airports
Bangoka International Airport (FKI) — Kisangani; Goma International Airport (GOM) — Goma; Lubumbashi International Airport (FBM) — Lubumbashi; Ndjili International Airport (FIH) — Kinshasa; Bandundu Airport (FDU) — Bandundu; Bunia Airport (BUX) — Bunia; Gbadolite Airport (BDT) — Gbadolite; Gemena Airport (GMA) — Gemena; Kalemie Airport (FMI) — Kalemie; Kananga Airport (KGA) — Kananga.
Showing 10 of 15 major airports.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28)
| Political system | semi-presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Historical timeline of Democratic Republic of the Congo
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Democratic Republic of the Congo — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Democratic Republic of the Congo's power score?
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.