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Indicators of economy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The essential economic performance of a country is reflected by the gross domestic product, the total of all goods and services sold. Worldwide gross domestic product in 2021 was at about 12,183 USD per capita. GDP in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the other hand, reached USD 577 per capita, or 55.35 billion USD for the whole country. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is therefore currently ranked 86 of the major economies. If this is calculated per inhabitant, taking purchasing power parity into account, then the Congo (Dem. Republic) ranks 188th in the list of the richest countries.

Inflation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2016 was around 2.89%. Within the EU, the average in the same year was 9.22 percent. In the United States, it was most recently 8.00%.

The index for perceived corruption in the public sector is 20, which is rather poor by global standards.


Back to overview: Congo (Dem. Republic)

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

The consequences of the COVID pandemic were not insignificant in the Congo 2020. Overall, gross domestic product in 2020 fell from 51.78 billion US dollars to 48.72 billion US dollars. With a drop of 5.9 percent, the economy in the Congo suffered more significant losses than other countries. The unemployment rate rose from 4.4 to 5.1 percent.

In 2021, there was already a recovery and the gross domestic product increased to 55.35 billion US dollars (=106.9% of 2019).

Income and purchasing power

The average monthly income in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is 46 US Dollar per capita. In the USA, the figure is 5,911 US Dollar. However, the prices of consumer goods are also around 68.7 percent lower than in the USA. If you compare income and price levels, the result is a more expensive life in the Democratic Republic of the Congo than in the United States. The bottom line is that the costs do not offset the lower income, and you get about 97.5 percent less.

However, it is also important to remember that this is a purely statistical model. Both the labor output and the type and quality of the goods received always correspond to the national average on both sides of the equation - so they do not necessarily have to match. Here you can also find an international comparison of cost of living and purchasing power.

Unemployment rates in percentages 1991 - 2022

Economic performance 2021

 Congo (Dem. Republic)
Total		Congo (Dem. Republic)
per capita		EU
Total		EU
per capita
GDP55.35 bn USD577.21 USD17.177 tn USD33,384.92 USD
Gross national product52.54 bn USD547.94 USD16.895 tn USD32,835.37 USD


Development of gross domestic product in billions of USD 1960 - 2021


› Corruption in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
› Cost of living in a global comparison


Imports and Exports 2021

 Congo (Dem. Republic)
Total		Congo (Dem. Republic)
per capita		EU
Total		EU
per capita
Imports14.56 bn USD151.80 USD8.916 tn USD17,329.02 USD
Exports13.93 bn USD145.29 USD9.554 tn USD18,569.19 USD


Development of imports and exports in billions of USD 2005 - 2021

Exports
Imports



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