Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Democratic Republic of the Congo: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (41.48/100, ranked #120 of 195).
DRC — in Central Africa, northeast of Angola. Political status: semi-presidential republic. The country's capital is Kinshasa; it covers 2,344,858 sq km. Independence: 30 June 1960 (from Belgium). Terrain: vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east. Climate: tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north of Equator - wet season (April to October), dry season (December to February); south of Equator - wet season (November to March), dry season (April to October). Population: 119.0 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +3.09% per year. Median age: 16.9 years. Life expectancy: 62.6…
| Capital | Kinshasa |
|---|---|
| Population | 119,038,825 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $164.367 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $1,500 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 6.7% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 41.5% |
| Unemployment | 4.6% |
| Public debt | 16% of GDP (2022 est.) |
| Exports | $29.65 billion (2023 est.) |
| Imports | $33.68 billion (2023 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 62.6 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 16.9 |
| Urbanization | 47.4% of total population (2023) |
| Government | semi-presidential republic |
| Independence | 30 June 1960 (from Belgium) |
| Languages | French (official), Lingala (a trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba |
Democratic Republic of the Congo’s GDP is $164.367 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $70.749 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 6.7% (2024 est.). See where Democratic Republic of the Congo ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER 41.48/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
The quarter passed without decisive turns. Governance continued, markets functioned, and the score reflects that uneventfulness.
For countries like this, the real story is always the slow one — and this quarter added no new chapter to it.
Cobalt, Copper, Niobium, Tantalum, Oil, Diamonds, Gold, Silver, Zinc, Manganese, Tin, Uranium, Coal, Hydropower, Timber.
Félix Tshisekedi — President. President Felix TSHISEKEDI (since 20 January 2024)
Democratic Republic of the Congo maintains 58 embassies and 2 consulates abroad, hosts 57 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 58 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 2 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 57 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, March 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18917562
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 37 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 273 + 1 heliports (registration prefix 9Q) |
| Major seaports | Banana, Boma, Matadi |
| Railways | 4007 km |
Bangoka International Airport (FKI) — Kisangani; Goma International Airport (GOM) — Goma; Lubumbashi International Airport (FBM) — Lubumbashi; Ndjili International Airport (FIH) — Kinshasa; Bandundu Airport (FDU) — Bandundu; Bunia Airport (BUX) — Bunia; Gbadolite Airport (BDT) — Gbadolite; Gemena Airport (GMA) — Gemena; Kalemie Airport (FMI) — Kalemie; Kananga Airport (KGA) — Kananga.
Showing 10 of 15 major airports.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28)
| Political system | semi-presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER 41.48/100 Ranked #120 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Historical timeline of Democratic Republic of the Congo
