DR Congo
Africa · Middle Africa
Currently reported
Drought reported in DR Congo since 21 May 2026. Part of an episode covering 4 countries.
Orange alert from GDACS, the UN and European Commission disaster alert service. Read the report
Vast mineral wealth and chronic instability; home to the world's second largest rainforest.
At a Glance
📈DR Congo's Human Development Index
0.481
Low human development#178 of 191 countries worldwide, #43 of 54 in Africa.
Higher than 7% of countries with data. UNDP Human Development Report.
UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita.
Closest indicators in this dataset
World Bank, own vintages. UNDP’s own component values are not carried here, so these are related measures rather than the index inputs.
Nearest countries by HDI
Full HDI ranking, all 191 countries →DR Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo is the second largest country in Africa and one of the most biodiverse places on earth, home to the Congo rainforest, rare mountain gorillas, and the powerful Congo River. The culture is enormously rich, with a music tradition that gave the world Congolese rumba and soukous. It is a challenging destination requiring careful planning, but those who make it will encounter something genuinely extraordinary.
- Richest mineral deposits of any country — including 70% of the world's coltan for electronics.
- Largest French-speaking country in the world by population.
- The Congo River is the world's deepest river — over 220 metres in places.
Quick Facts
Capital
Kinshasa
Languages
French, Kikongo, Lingala, Tshiluba
Currency
FC CDF
Area
2.27M km²
Nomad Hub
Fixed Broadband
45Mbps
GDP / Capita
$807
PPP / Capita
$2K
Unemployment
4.4%
GNI / Capita
$720
Tax Revenue
10.7%
FDI Inflows
2.1%
Education Spend
2.8%
Cost of Living
50.2
Price Level Index
54th pct
20-Year Trend + IMF Forecast
Income & inflation over time
HDI since 1990
0.377 → 0.481 (+0.104)Year by year →UNDP Human Development Report, 2023-24 edition. 33 annual values, none interpolated; hover any point for its year.
Twenty years here
Year by year →The world report →World Bank observations, first to last available year per indicator (roughly 2005–2024; each series has its own window).
Thinking about DR Congo for real?
The matcher weighs your budget, timeline and dealbreakers against the same data on this page, then answers with the places that actually fit.
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💬Quick answers
What is DR Congo's Human Development Index?
DR Congo's Human Development Index is 0.481 (UNDP Human Development Report), ranked #178 of 191 countries.
Is DR Congo safe?
DR Congo scores 3.19 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #158 of 160 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.
How expensive is DR Congo?
Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts DR Congo at 50.2 (New York = 100); that is #98 cheapest of 143 countries with data.
What is life expectancy in DR Congo?
Life expectancy at birth in DR Congo is 62.1 yrs (World Bank), ranked #182 of 195 countries.