Urban population in Congo
Congo: Urban population was 4.16 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Urban population in Congo, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
In 2025, urban population in Congo stood at 4.16 million. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 2.8% on the previous year and up 29.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population in Congo peaked at 4.16 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 388,025, in 1960.
That places Congo 110th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Urban population in Congo, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 388,025 | — |
| 1961 | 401,224 | +3.4% |
| 1962 | 412,084 | +2.7% |
| 1963 | 423,851 | +2.9% |
| 1964 | 436,601 | +3.0% |
| 1965 | 450,363 | +3.2% |
| 1966 | 465,184 | +3.3% |
| 1967 | 481,046 | +3.4% |
| 1968 | 498,028 | +3.5% |
| 1969 | 516,209 | +3.7% |
| 1970 | 535,590 | +3.8% |
| 1971 | 556,247 | +3.9% |
| 1972 | 578,228 | +4.0% |
| 1973 | 601,455 | +4.0% |
| 1974 | 626,608 | +4.2% |
| 1975 | 654,779 | +4.5% |
| 1976 | 687,119 | +4.9% |
| 1977 | 724,332 | +5.4% |
| 1978 | 765,514 | +5.7% |
| 1979 | 809,521 | +5.7% |
| 1980 | 855,257 | +5.6% |
| 1981 | 901,604 | +5.4% |
| 1982 | 947,002 | +5.0% |
| 1983 | 989,622 | +4.5% |
| 1984 | 1.03 million | +4.3% |
| 1985 | 1.08 million | +4.3% |
| 1986 | 1.12 million | +4.1% |
| 1987 | 1.16 million | +3.9% |
| 1988 | 1.21 million | +3.8% |
| 1989 | 1.25 million | +3.7% |
| 1990 | 1.30 million | +3.6% |
| 1991 | 1.35 million | +3.6% |
| 1992 | 1.39 million | +3.5% |
| 1993 | 1.44 million | +3.7% |
| 1994 | 1.50 million | +3.7% |
| 1995 | 1.55 million | +3.6% |
| 1996 | 1.61 million | +3.6% |
| 1997 | 1.65 million | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 1.71 million | +3.1% |
| 1999 | 1.77 million | +3.7% |
| 2000 | 1.86 million | +4.9% |
| 2001 | 1.95 million | +4.8% |
| 2002 | 2.01 million | +3.3% |
| 2003 | 2.08 million | +3.7% |
| 2004 | 2.17 million | +4.2% |
| 2005 | 2.27 million | +4.3% |
| 2006 | 2.36 million | +4.3% |
| 2007 | 2.46 million | +4.1% |
| 2008 | 2.55 million | +3.7% |
| 2009 | 2.66 million | +4.4% |
| 2010 | 2.78 million | +4.5% |
| 2011 | 2.88 million | +3.6% |
| 2012 | 2.97 million | +3.1% |
| 2013 | 3.05 million | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 3.14 million | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 3.22 million | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 3.30 million | +2.6% |
| 2017 | 3.39 million | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 3.48 million | +2.6% |
| 2019 | 3.57 million | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 3.66 million | +2.5% |
| 2021 | 3.75 million | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 3.84 million | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 3.94 million | +2.5% |
| 2024 | 4.05 million | +2.8% |
| 2025 | 4.16 million | +2.8% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 4.16 million is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.62 million, 63% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Congo's 4.16 million is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.82 million, 86% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 447,262 | 388,025 | 516,209 | 10 |
| 1970s | 653,939 | 535,590 | 809,521 | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.06 million | 855,257 | 1.25 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.53 million | 1.30 million | 1.77 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.24 million | 1.86 million | 2.66 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.18 million | 2.78 million | 3.57 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.90 million | 3.66 million | 4.16 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Congo
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 urban population in Congo?
- Urban population in Congo was 4.16 million in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 4.16 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban population recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 388,025 in 1960.
- How does Congo rank for urban population?
- Congo ranks 110th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Congo data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.