Population growth in Congo
Congo: Population growth was 2.4% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Population growth in Congo, 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Congo recorded 2.4% for population growth in 2025.
That represents a change of down 1.4% on the previous year and down 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Congo peaked at 4.1% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 1983.
That places Congo 31st out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
Population growth in Congo, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.6% | — |
| 1962 | 2.6% | +1.4% |
| 1963 | 2.7% | +1.8% |
| 1964 | 2.7% | +2.1% |
| 1965 | 2.8% | +1.9% |
| 1966 | 2.8% | +1.9% |
| 1967 | 2.9% | +1.4% |
| 1968 | 2.9% | +1.6% |
| 1969 | 3.0% | +1.8% |
| 1970 | 3.0% | +1.4% |
| 1971 | 3.1% | +1.6% |
| 1972 | 3.1% | +1.5% |
| 1973 | 3.1% | +0.7% |
| 1974 | 3.1% | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 2.8% | -10.7% |
| 1976 | 2.4% | -12.5% |
| 1977 | 2.4% | -2.0% |
| 1978 | 2.3% | -1.9% |
| 1979 | 2.3% | -2.5% |
| 1980 | 2.2% | -2.2% |
| 1981 | 2.2% | -1.4% |
| 1982 | 2.2% | -2.4% |
| 1983 | 2.1% | -4.0% |
| 1984 | 2.5% | +20.6% |
| 1985 | 2.9% | +18.2% |
| 1986 | 2.9% | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 2.9% | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 2.9% | -0.8% |
| 1989 | 2.9% | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 2.9% | -1.2% |
| 1991 | 2.8% | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 2.8% | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 3.0% | +4.6% |
| 1994 | 3.0% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 2.8% | -5.0% |
| 1996 | 2.8% | -1.5% |
| 1997 | 2.1% | -22.9% |
| 1998 | 2.2% | +2.9% |
| 1999 | 2.7% | +22.8% |
| 2000 | 3.8% | +41.9% |
| 2001 | 3.8% | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 2.4% | -37.4% |
| 2003 | 2.8% | +18.3% |
| 2004 | 3.4% | +22.3% |
| 2005 | 3.6% | +5.4% |
| 2006 | 3.7% | +3.9% |
| 2007 | 3.7% | -2.3% |
| 2008 | 3.3% | -10.1% |
| 2009 | 4.0% | +21.5% |
| 2010 | 4.1% | +3.7% |
| 2011 | 3.3% | -21.5% |
| 2012 | 2.8% | -14.0% |
| 2013 | 2.4% | -13.1% |
| 2014 | 2.4% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 2.4% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 2.4% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 2.4% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 2.4% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 2.4% | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 2.4% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 2.4% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 2.4% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 2.4% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 2.4% | -0.9% |
| 2025 | 2.4% | -1.4% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 2.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.7%, 1.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Congo's 2.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.3%, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth in Congo changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +41.9% | 2.7% | 3.8% |
| 2002 | -37.4% | 3.8% | 2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.8% | 2.6% | 3.0% | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.8% | 2.3% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.6% | 2.1% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.7% | 2.1% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.4% | 2.4% | 4.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.7% | 2.4% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Congo
- 28 Madagascar 2.4% compare
- 29 Equatorial Guinea 2.4% compare
- 30 Sudan 2.4% compare
- 32 Solomon Islands 2.3% compare
- 33 Palestine 2.3% compare
- 34 Guinea 2.3% compare
More climate change data for Congo
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 226,333 kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 762.73 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 278.7 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 484.03 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1.05 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 17.29 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 13.23 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 6.62 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 6.61 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.025 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Congo?
- Population growth in Congo was 2.4% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 4.1% in 2010.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 1983.
- How does Congo rank for population growth?
- Congo ranks 31st out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Congo data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.