Democratic Republic of the Congo population pyramid 2026
116,452,162 people in 2026 (projected). The DR Congo’s pyramid is an almost perfect triangle: each five-year band is about one-sixth smaller than the one below, with 46% of people under 15.
- 2026 population
- 116.5Mrank 15 of 237
- Median age
- 15.9 yearsoldest rank 232
- Fertility rate
- 5.80births per woman · above replacement
- Structure
- Youthful3.1% age 65+
Democratic Republic of the Congo population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Democratic Republic of the Congo age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 45.8% of the population, while 3.1% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 51.1% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Democratic Republic of the Congo’s age structure as youthful; the guide to expansive population pyramids explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 95.8: about 96 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (89.7 children and 6.1 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Democratic Republic of the Congo’s population pyramid
A textbook expansive pyramid
Few countries come as close to the classroom diagram of an expansive population pyramid as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2026 the 0–4 band holds about 18% of the population, and each band above it is roughly one-sixth narrower than the one below: 0–4, 5–9, 10–14 and 15–19 step down almost evenly. There are no large notches or bulges. That regularity reflects fertility that has stayed close to six children per woman for decades, combined with steadily rising numbers of births. Fewer than one person in twenty is aged 65 or older, which places the country near the top of the rankings for the highest child population share.
The sides are also nearly symmetrical below age 50. The 1950 DR Congo pyramid looks very different in this respect, with women outnumbering men in every band. That imbalance sits in the earliest estimates and is hard to interpret; colonial-era labor migration and gaps in the underlying data are both possible contributors.
Conflict, uncertainty and data gaps
The wars of 1996–2003 and continuing violence in the eastern provinces caused very large excess mortality, much of it among young children through disease and malnutrition rather than combat. Estimates of the total death toll vary widely and remain contested. Because the deaths were spread across many ages and years, they do not appear as a sharp notch in the five-year bands.
Readers should treat the pyramid’s fine detail with care. The country’s last national census was held in 1984, so the UN estimates rely heavily on household surveys such as the Demographic and Health Surveys and on modeling. The overall shape is well supported; precise band widths are less certain than for countries with regular censuses and registration.
The neighboring Republic of the Congo offers a useful comparison: a smaller, more urban population whose fertility has fallen further.
Under the UN medium scenario the DR Congo’s population grows from about 116 million in 2026 to roughly 218 million by 2050, nearly doubling, while the median age rises only from about 16 to 20.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
No five-year band under age 80 is more than 10% larger or smaller than both of its neighbours, so Democratic Republic of the Congo’s 2026 pyramid has a comparatively smooth profile without sharp bulges or notches.
In the UN medium scenario births outnumber deaths in every year through 2100. Children under 15 outnumber people aged 65 and older in every pyramid year through 2100.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Democratic Republic of the Congo is projected to record 4,634,979 births (about one birth every 6.8 seconds) and 958,937 deaths, a natural increase of 3,676,042. Net migration adds −28,843 people, ranking #113 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 77,278,270 births, 19,699,100 deaths, and cumulative net migration of +243,964. Over that period the balance of births and deaths moved the total more than migration did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of −915,430 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 64.6 years39.3 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 60.2 years37.1 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 13.6 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 47.4per 1,000 births · 181 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 70.6per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 30.1 yearssex ratio at birth 102.3
Women in Democratic Republic of the Congo are projected to live 4.4 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 181 to 47.4 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #16 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 30.1 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Democratic Republic of the Congo
The median age of 15.9 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 5.80 births per woman is above the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 62.4 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 116,452,162 | #15 | Largest first |
| Median age | 15.9 years | #232 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 5.80 | #2 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | +3.1% | #3 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 62.4 years | #224 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 3.1% | #213 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Democratic Republic of the Congo
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0–4 | 20,789,377 | 17.9% | 10.5M / 10.3M |
| 2 | 5–9 | 17,723,465 | 15.2% | 8.9M / 8.8M |
| 3 | 10–14 | 14,858,646 | 12.8% | 7.4M / 7.4M |
| 4 | 15–19 | 12,274,133 | 10.5% | 6.1M / 6.2M |
| 5 | 20–24 | 10,029,227 | 8.6% | 5M / 5M |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Democratic Republic of the Congo has 57,783,287 males and 58,668,875 females. That is 98.5 males per 100 females, ranking #114 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 49.6% of the population and females for 50.4%. There are 885,588 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 83.1 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 102.3 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, slightly below the typical value of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Democratic Republic of the Congo has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 12,294,287 in 1950 to 116,452,162 in 2026, a change of 847%. Over the same span, median age moved from 17.1 to 15.9 years.
The under-15 share changed from 43.5% to 45.8%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 3.8% to 3.1%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately. See the Democratic Republic of the Congo population pyramid in 1950 for the full starting shape.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Democratic Republic of the Congo’s population is projected to grow by about 87%, reaching 218,246,072 in 2050. The median age changes from 15.9 to 20.0 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 0.4 percentage points to 3.5%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 37.3%. The Democratic Republic of the Congo population pyramid for 2050 shows the projected shape in detail. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The population is still rising at the end of the UN medium projection in 2100, when it reaches 430,709,445. The page therefore does not assign a peak year beyond the available horizon.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 12,294,287 | 17.1 | 5.97 | 38.2 | 563,665 | 327,302 | +4,113 | +2.0% |
| 1960 | 15,264,846 | 17.3 | 6.11 | 40.8 | 718,406 | 354,892 | +27,673 | +2.6% |
| 1970 | 20,137,436 | 17.3 | 6.33 | 43.3 | 957,902 | 424,595 | +39,116 | +2.8% |
| 1980 | 26,711,098 | 16.8 | 6.49 | 45.5 | 1,231,233 | 507,105 | +51,685 | +2.9% |
| 1990 | 36,684,063 | 16.7 | 6.65 | 48.5 | 1,681,955 | 618,471 | +219,270 | +3.5% |
| 2000 | 50,507,442 | 16.0 | 6.70 | 51.9 | 2,287,896 | 738,367 | +79,340 | +3.2% |
| 2010 | 68,563,038 | 15.7 | 6.59 | 56.4 | 3,011,258 | 799,042 | +8,823 | +3.2% |
| 2020 | 95,989,998 | 15.8 | 6.21 | 60.4 | 4,049,813 | 893,708 | −1,633 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | 105,789,731 | 15.8 | 6.05 | 61.9 | 4,369,683 | 901,851 | −14,992 | +3.3% |
| 2024* | 109,276,265 | 15.8 | 5.98 | 62.1 | 4,467,740 | 920,541 | −26,968 | +3.2% |
| 2026* | 116,452,162 | 15.9 | 5.80 | 62.4 | 4,634,979 | 958,937 | −28,843 | +3.1% |
| 2030* | 131,532,201 | 16.2 | 5.42 | 63.0 | 4,954,791 | 1,033,274 | −34,958 | +3.0% |
| 2040* | 172,595,582 | 17.8 | 4.38 | 64.6 | 5,593,911 | 1,229,201 | −42,925 | +2.5% |
| 2050* | 218,246,072 | 20.0 | 3.66 | 65.9 | 6,282,533 | 1,470,683 | −46,131 | +2.2% |
| 2060* | 266,679,134 | 22.3 | 3.14 | 67.2 | 6,691,105 | 1,773,932 | −51,774 | +1.8% |
| 2070* | 314,382,310 | 24.6 | 2.77 | 68.4 | 6,873,815 | 2,174,962 | −47,900 | +1.5% |
| 2080* | 358,920,647 | 27.1 | 2.50 | 69.6 | 6,977,073 | 2,674,019 | −67,983 | +1.2% |
| 2090* | 398,480,921 | 29.6 | 2.30 | 70.7 | 6,949,505 | 3,273,267 | −60,577 | +0.9% |
| 2100* | 430,709,445 | 31.8 | 2.16 | 71.9 | 6,813,098 | 3,917,828 | −62,565 | +0.7% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 10,453,448 | 10,335,929 | 20,789,377 | 17.9% |
| 5–9 | 8,881,059 | 8,842,406 | 17,723,465 | 15.2% |
| 10–14 | 7,426,016 | 7,432,630 | 14,858,646 | 12.8% |
| 15–19 | 6,121,126 | 6,153,007 | 12,274,133 | 10.5% |
| 20–24 | 4,989,873 | 5,039,354 | 10,029,227 | 8.6% |
| 25–29 | 4,205,708 | 4,265,457 | 8,471,165 | 7.3% |
| 30–34 | 3,532,416 | 3,600,084 | 7,132,500 | 6.1% |
| 35–39 | 2,845,487 | 2,913,191 | 5,758,678 | 4.9% |
| 40–44 | 2,269,812 | 2,332,269 | 4,602,081 | 4.0% |
| 45–49 | 1,773,243 | 1,843,316 | 3,616,559 | 3.1% |
| 50–54 | 1,466,245 | 1,554,888 | 3,021,133 | 2.6% |
| 55–59 | 1,223,758 | 1,324,831 | 2,548,589 | 2.2% |
| 60–64 | 960,273 | 1,063,764 | 2,024,037 | 1.7% |
| 65–69 | 701,538 | 799,095 | 1,500,633 | 1.3% |
| 70–74 | 467,083 | 550,450 | 1,017,533 | 0.9% |
| 75–79 | 277,037 | 346,845 | 623,882 | 0.5% |
| 80–84 | 135,493 | 184,951 | 320,444 | 0.3% |
| 85–89 | 44,510 | 68,108 | 112,618 | 0.1% |
| 90–94 | 8,393 | 16,109 | 24,502 | 0.0% |
| 95–99 | 745 | 2,074 | 2,819 | 0.0% |
| 100+ | 24 | 121 | 145 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Democratic Republic of the Congo’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Somalia98% overlap · median age 15.6
- Chad98% overlap · median age 15.7
- Niger98% overlap · median age 15.7
- Angola98% overlap · median age 16.7
- Mali97% overlap · median age 15.9
- Mozambique97% overlap · median age 16.6
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Democratic Republic of the Congo Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/democratic-republic-of-the-congo/
MLA
“Democratic Republic of the Congo Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/democratic-republic-of-the-congo/.
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World Population Pyramid. “Democratic Republic of the Congo Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/democratic-republic-of-the-congo/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Democratic Republic of the Congo's population in 2026 is projected at 116,452,162.
What is the median age in Democratic Republic of the Congo?
The projected median age in Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2026 is 15.9 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Democratic Republic of the Congo?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 5.80 births per woman, above the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Democratic Republic of the Congo's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will grow by about 87%, from 116.5M to 218.2M.
What share of Democratic Republic of the Congo is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 3.1% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 3.5%.
How many babies are born in Democratic Republic of the Congo each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 4,634,979 births and 958,937 deaths in 2026, about one birth every 6.8 seconds. Births exceed deaths by 3,676,042.
What is life expectancy in Democratic Republic of the Congo for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 64.6 years for women and 60.2 years for men, a gap of 4.4 years in favour of women.
Does Democratic Republic of the Congo have more immigrants or emigrants?
Democratic Republic of the Congo is projected to lose about 28,843 more people through emigration than it gains in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of +243,964.
What is the sex ratio in Democratic Republic of the Congo?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 98.5 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.