Factbook dossier
Background
Bantu, Sudanic, and other migrants from West and Northeastern Africa arrived in the Congo River Basin between 2000 B.C. and A.D. 500. The territory that is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo has more than 200 ethnic groups that trace their histories to many communal organizations and kingdoms. The Kingdom of Kongo, for example, ruled the area around the mouth of the Congo River from the 14th to 19th centuries. Meanwhile, the Kingdoms of Luba and Lunda, located to the south and east, were also notable political groupings in the territory and ruled from the 16th and 17th centuries to the 19th century. European prospectors in the Congo Basin invaded and splintered these kingdoms in the late 1800 s, sponsored by King LEOPOLD II of Belgium, and the kingdoms were eventually forced to grant Leopold the rights to the Congo territory as his private property. During this period, known as the Congo Free State, the king's private colonial military forced the local population to produce rubber. From 1885 to 1908, millions of Congolese people died as a result of disease and inhumane treatment. International condemnation finally forced LEOPOLD to cede the land to the state of Belgium, creating the Belgian Congo. The Republic of the Congo gained its independence from Belgium in 1960, but its early years were marred by instability. Col. Joseph MOBUTU seized power and declared himself president in a 1965 coup. He subsequently changed his name to MOBUTU Sese Seko and the country's name to Zaire. MOBUTU retained his position for 32 years, using sham elections and brute force. In 1994, a …
Location
Central Africa, northeast of Angola
Area
total : 2,344,858 sq km land: 2,267,048 sq km water: 77,810 sq km
Natural resources
cobalt, copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, hydropower, timber note 1: coltan, the industrial name for a columbite tantalite mineral from which niobium and tantalum are extracted, is mainly artisanal and small-scale; tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold extracted from central Africa are considered "conflict minerals" and as such are subject to international monitoring note 2: the DROC is the World's leading producer of cobalt, accounting for as much as 70% of the World's supply; between 20-30% of this cobalt is produced in artisanal and small-scale mining operations
Natural hazards
periodic droughts in south; Congo River floods (seasonal); active volcanoes in the east along the Great Rift Valley volcanism: the active volcano Nyiragongo (3,470 m) poses a major threat to the city of Goma, home to a quarter of a million people; it 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 is Africa's most active volcano; Visoke is the only other historically active volcano
Population
total: 119,038,825 (2025 est.) male: 59,509,076 female: 59,529,749
Ethnic groups
more than 200 African ethnic groups of which the majority are Bantu; the four largest groups - Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu), and the Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) - make up about 45% of the population
Languages
French (official), Lingala (a trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba major-language sample(s): Buku oyo ya bosembo ya Mokili Mobimba Ezali na Makanisi ya Liboso Mpenza. (Lingala) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions
Christian 93/1% (Roman Catholic 29.9%, Protestant 26.7%, other Christian 36.5%), Kimbanguist 2.8%, Muslim 1.3%, other (includes syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs) 1.2%, none 1.3%, unspecified 0.2% (2014 est.)
Environmental issues
poaching; water pollution; deforestation from agriculture and wood used for fuel; soil erosion; damage from mining
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) time zone note: the DRC has two time zones etymology: founded as a trading post in 1881 and named Leopoldville in honor of King LEOPOLD II of the Belgians; in 1966, Leopoldville was renamed Kinshasa, a Bantu name of unknown meaning
Executive branch
chief of state: President Felix TSHISEKEDI (since 20 January 2024) head of government: Prime Minister Judith SUMINWA Tuluka (since 29 May 2024) cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president election/appointment process: president directly elected by simple majority vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president most recent election date: 20 December 2023 election results: 2023: Felix TSHISEKEDI reelected president; percent of vote - Felix TSHISEKEDI (UDPS) 73.3%, Moise KATUMBI (Ensemble) 18.8%, Martin FAYULU (ECIDE) 5.3%, other 2.6% 2018: 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% expected date of next election: 20 December 2028
Legislative branch
legislature name: Parlement (Parliament) legislative structure: bicameral
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$164.367 billion (2024 est.) $154.081 billion (2023 est.) $141.867 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$1,500 (2024 est.) $1,500 (2023 est.) $1,400 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
41.5% (2017 est.) 2.9% (2016 est.) 0.7% (2015 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
China 69%, UAE 7%, India 3%, Spain 3%, Egypt 3% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
China 35%, Zambia 12%, South Africa 12%, India 5%, Belgium 4% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
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 (Forces Terrestres), National Navy (La Marine Nationale), Congolese Air Force (Force Aerienne Congolaise, FAC); Republican Guard (Garde R publicaine, GR) Ministry of Interior: Congolese National Police (Police Nationale Congolaise, PNC) (2025) note: the Republican Guard is overseen by the office of the presidency rather than the FARDC; it focuses on protecting the president and government institutions and enforcing internal security note 2: community-based self-defense groups, known as Wazalendo militias, are also active in areas contested by illegal armed groups, such as M23
Military expenditures
1.2% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.2% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.7% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.7% of GDP (2021 est.) 0.7% of GDP (2020 est.)