
Population growth in the Republic of the Congo
From 1960 to 2021 the population of the Republic of the Congo increased from 1.02 million to 5.84 million people. This is a growth of 473.1 percent in 61 years. The highest increase in the Congo was recorded in 2015 with 6.91 percent. The smallest increase in 2021 with 2.34 percent.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 160.2 percent.
The average age in the Congo rose by 0.69 years from 2012 to 2021 from 18.81 to 19.50 years (median value).
Around 68 percent of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 3.0 percent annually.
› Population growth in worldwide comparison
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Population development in the Republic of the Congo since 1960
(Data in millions of inhabitants)Year | Population Congo | Change Congo | Birth rate | Death rate | Population World | Change World | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1961 | 1.04 M | 2.44 % | 42.9 ‰ | 18.5 ‰ | 3,072 M | 1.30 % | |
1962 | 1.07 M | 2.50 % | 43.0 ‰ | 18.1 ‰ | 3,125 M | 1.72 % | |
1963 | 1.10 M | 2.56 % | 43.2 ‰ | 17.7 ‰ | 3,190 M | 2.08 % | |
1964 | 1.13 M | 2.62 % | 43.3 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | 3,255 M | 2.05 % | |
1965 | 1.16 M | 2.67 % | 43.5 ‰ | 16.9 ‰ | 3,322 M | 2.06 % | |
1966 | 1.19 M | 2.72 % | 43.6 ‰ | 16.6 ‰ | 3,392 M | 2.11 % | |
1967 | 1.22 M | 2.76 % | 43.7 ‰ | 16.3 ‰ | 3,462 M | 2.05 % | |
1968 | 1.25 M | 2.81 % | 43.8 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | 3,533 M | 2.06 % | |
1969 | 1.29 M | 2.85 % | 43.9 ‰ | 15.6 ‰ | 3,607 M | 2.09 % | |
1970 | 1.33 M | 2.90 % | 43.9 ‰ | 15.3 ‰ | 3,682 M | 2.09 % | |
1971 | 1.37 M | 2.94 % | 44.0 ‰ | 15.0 ‰ | 3,761 M | 2.13 % | |
1972 | 1.41 M | 2.97 % | 44.0 ‰ | 14.7 ‰ | 3,837 M | 2.03 % | |
1973 | 1.45 M | 2.99 % | 43.9 ‰ | 14.4 ‰ | 3,913 M | 1.98 % | |
1974 | 1.49 M | 3.00 % | 43.9 ‰ | 14.2 ‰ | 3,988 M | 1.93 % | |
1975 | 1.54 M | 2.99 % | 43.8 ‰ | 13.9 ‰ | 4,063 M | 1.86 % | |
1976 | 1.58 M | 2.97 % | 43.6 ‰ | 13.6 ‰ | 4,135 M | 1.80 % | |
1977 | 1.63 M | 2.96 % | 43.3 ‰ | 13.3 ‰ | 4,208 M | 1.75 % | |
1978 | 1.68 M | 2.95 % | 42.9 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | 4,281 M | 1.75 % | |
1979 | 1.73 M | 2.95 % | 42.5 ‰ | 12.8 ‰ | 4,357 M | 1.76 % | |
1980 | 1.78 M | 2.96 % | 42.0 ‰ | 12.5 ‰ | 4,433 M | 1.75 % | |
1981 | 1.83 M | 2.96 % | 41.4 ‰ | 12.2 ‰ | 4,511 M | 1.76 % | |
1982 | 1.88 M | 2.96 % | 40.9 ‰ | 12.0 ‰ | 4,592 M | 1.80 % | |
1983 | 1.94 M | 2.95 % | 40.3 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | 4,674 M | 1.78 % | |
1984 | 2.00 M | 2.91 % | 39.8 ‰ | 11.6 ‰ | 4,756 M | 1.75 % | |
1985 | 2.05 M | 2.87 % | 39.4 ‰ | 11.4 ‰ | 4,839 M | 1.75 % | |
1986 | 2.11 M | 2.83 % | 39.0 ‰ | 11.3 ‰ | 4,925 M | 1.77 % | |
1987 | 2.17 M | 2.79 % | 38.7 ‰ | 11.3 ‰ | 5,013 M | 1.78 % | |
1988 | 2.23 M | 2.77 % | 38.4 ‰ | 11.3 ‰ | 5,101 M | 1.77 % | |
1989 | 2.29 M | 2.76 % | 38.2 ‰ | 11.4 ‰ | 5,190 M | 1.74 % | |
1990 | 2.36 M | 2.77 % | 38.0 ‰ | 11.5 ‰ | 5,280 M | 1.74 % | |
1991 | 2.42 M | 2.78 % | 37.9 ‰ | 11.6 ‰ | 5,368 M | 1.67 % | |
1992 | 2.49 M | 2.79 % | 37.9 ‰ | 11.9 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
1993 | 2.56 M | 2.81 % | 37.9 ‰ | 12.1 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
1994 | 2.63 M | 2.83 % | 38.0 ‰ | 12.3 ‰ | 5,622 M | 1.52 % | |
1995 | 2.71 M | 2.86 % | 38.1 ‰ | 12.6 ‰ | 5,707 M | 1.51 % | |
1996 | 2.79 M | 2.89 % | 38.2 ‰ | 12.8 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
1997 | 2.87 M | 2.92 % | 38.3 ‰ | 12.9 ‰ | 5,872 M | 1.43 % | |
1998 | 2.95 M | 2.94 % | 38.4 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | 5,954 M | 1.39 % | |
1999 | 3.04 M | 2.94 % | 38.5 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | 6,034 M | 1.35 % | |
2000 | 3.13 M | 2.93 % | 38.6 ‰ | 12.9 ‰ | 6,114 M | 1.32 % | |
2001 | 3.22 M | 2.89 % | 38.6 ‰ | 12.7 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
2002 | 3.31 M | 2.87 % | 38.6 ‰ | 12.4 ‰ | 6,273 M | 1.28 % | |
2003 | 3.41 M | 2.92 % | 38.5 ‰ | 12.0 ‰ | 6,352 M | 1.26 % | |
2004 | 3.51 M | 3.04 % | 38.5 ‰ | 11.5 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
2005 | 3.62 M | 3.20 % | 38.4 ‰ | 11.0 ‰ | 6,512 M | 1.25 % | |
2006 | 3.75 M | 3.38 % | 38.2 ‰ | 10.4 ‰ | 6,593 M | 1.24 % | |
2007 | 3.88 M | 3.50 % | 38.0 ‰ | 9.9 ‰ | 6,674 M | 1.24 % | |
2008 | 4.01 M | 3.49 % | 37.8 ‰ | 9.4 ‰ | 6,757 M | 1.24 % | |
2009 | 4.15 M | 3.34 % | 37.5 ‰ | 9.0 ‰ | 6,840 M | 1.22 % | |
2010 | 4.27 M | 3.10 % | 37.1 ‰ | 8.6 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.20 % | |
2011 | 4.39 M | 2.83 % | 36.7 ‰ | 8.2 ‰ | 7,004 M | 1.18 % | |
2012 | 4.51 M | 2.62 % | 36.2 ‰ | 7.9 ‰ | 7,089 M | 1.22 % | |
2013 | 4.62 M | 2.50 % | 35.7 ‰ | 7.7 ‰ | 7,176 M | 1.22 % | |
2014 | 4.74 M | 2.47 % | 35.5 ‰ | 7.4 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
2015 | 5.06 M | 6.91 % | 34.6 ‰ | 7.2 ‰ | 7,405 M | 1.97 % | |
2016 | 5.19 M | 2.42 % | 33.7 ‰ | 7.0 ‰ | 7,492 M | 1.18 % | |
2017 | 5.31 M | 2.42 % | 33.0 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | 7,578 M | 1.15 % | |
2018 | 5.44 M | 2.42 % | 32.3 ‰ | 6.8 ‰ | 7,662 M | 1.10 % | |
2019 | 5.57 M | 2.38 % | 31.7 ‰ | 7.4 ‰ | 7,743 M | 1.06 % | |
2020 | 5.70 M | 2.36 % | 31.2 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | 7,821 M | 1.01 % | |
2021 | 5.84 M | 2.34 % | 30.7 ‰ | 7.1 ‰ | 7,888 M | 0.86 % |

Birth and death rate in the Republic of the Congo
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. For example, the year 2021 in the graph: The population in the Congo increased by about 134,000 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 7.1 per 1,000 people (~ 40,300 deaths) and the birth rate was 30.7 per 1,000 people (~ 175,000 births). As a result, around 700 inhabitants have migrated to other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 37,453 in the Congo. The number of births was 173,131 annually.
The changes in births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1,000 inhabitants.
Birth rate Death rate