Country page · Sub-Saharan Africa
If you were born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
1 in 29 babies · 3.44% of births · about 4,613,156 a year
Right now, about 3.44% of the world's babies are born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo — 1 in 29, or roughly 4,613,156 a year and 12,639 a day. Life expectancy there is 62.1 years.
How the 1 in 29 is calculated
This number is not based on population. It uses births: the Democratic Republic of the Congo has about 4,613,156 births a year, and the world has about 134,147,481. Divide one by the other and you get 3.44% — 1 in 29. Using population instead would understate young countries and overstate ageing ones, so every draw is weighted by births.
Life in Democratic Republic of the Congo, in numbers
| Indicator | Value | World rank |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy women 64.2 · men 60.0 | 62.1 years | 160th highest of 172 countries |
| Chance of dying before 5 89.7 / 1,000 | 9.0% | 163rd lowest of 170 countries |
| Chance of dying before 1 56.4 / 1,000 | 5.6% | 162nd lowest of 170 countries |
| Mothers who die giving birth per 100,000 births | 427 | 158th lowest of 170 countries |
| Children per woman | 5.98 | 170th lowest of 172 countries |
| Expected years of schooling | 9.6 years | 140th highest of 168 countries |
| Tertiary enrollment | 6.4% | 147th highest of 168 countries |
| Income per person (PPP) GDP per capita, PPP | $1,920 | 163rd highest of 170 countries |
| Income inequality closer to 0 = more equal | 44.70 | 20th highest of 157 countries |
| People living in cities | 45.1% | 127th highest of 172 countries |
| People working in farming | 58.5% | 157th lowest of 171 countries |
| People using the internet | 19.7% | 156th highest of 172 countries |
| Homicide per 100,000 people | — | — |
| Health costs paid out of pocket share of health spending | 38.0% | 111th lowest of 168 countries |
| Adults living with HIV | 0.70% | 46th highest of 142 countries |
| People who smoke | 12.3% | — |
How to read these numbers
Income is shown in purchasing-power-parity dollars, so it compares what money buys locally rather than market exchange rates. The under-5 rate is the share of babies who die before their fifth birthday; the maternal mortality ratio is per 100,000 live births. A Gini index closer to 0 means a more equal income distribution, and a higher number means a more unequal one.
Each indicator uses the most recent year with a non-empty value, which can differ by country; the rank compares this country with the other 171 in the dataset, not with every country on Earth. Where a value is missing, the page shows a dash rather than an estimate.
the Democratic Republic of the Congo compared with Sub-Saharan Africa
Life expectancy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is 62.1 years, against a Sub-Saharan Africa average of 0.0. The under-5 death rate is 9.0%, versus 0.0% across the region. Income per person is $1,920, against $0 regionally; expected schooling is 9.6 years against 0.0. 45.1% of people live in cities, against 0.0% in the region.
| Indicator | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Sub-Saharan Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 62.1 yrs | — | 73.3 yrs |
| Under-5 deaths | 9.0% | — | 2.6% |
| Income per person (PPP) | $1,920 | — | $30,311 |
| Expected schooling | 9.6 yrs | — | 13.0 yrs |
| People in cities | 45.1% | — | 61.6% |
What a life there looks like
Put those numbers together and you get a life: about 62.1 years on average, with roughly 89.7 of every 1,000 babies dying before their fifth birthday. A child can expect 9.6 years of school, and income per person is around $1,920. These are averages — every life still lands somewhere on the distribution.
If you play as someone born in Democratic Republic of the Congo
The game draws Democratic Republic of the Congo in about 1 of every 29 births. From there the life runs year by year: 62.1 years of life expectancy on average, a 9.0% chance of dying before five, and an income of about $1,920 per person. Choices move the odds; the starting statistics do not.
Nearby and similar countries
- Chance of being born in Nigeria — 1 in 17
- Chance of being born in Ethiopia — 1 in 31
- Chance of being born in Tanzania — 1 in 55
- All 172 countries
Frequently asked questions
What are the odds of being born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
What is life expectancy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
How many babies are born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo each year?
Is the Democratic Republic of the Congo a good country to be born in, in the game?
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, with UN World Population Prospects 2024 and UN IGME for births and mortality. Values are the most recent non-empty year for each indicator; the year is noted where it differs. Page updated 24 Oct 2026.