Rural population in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Rural population was 54.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population in Democratic Republic of Congo is 54.9%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 6.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 77.7% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 54.9%, in 2025.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 56th of 217 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 77.7% | — |
| 1961 | 77.6% | -0.1% |
| 1962 | 77.5% | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 77.3% | -0.2% |
| 1964 | 77.2% | -0.2% |
| 1965 | 77.0% | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 76.8% | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 76.6% | -0.3% |
| 1968 | 76.4% | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 76.2% | -0.3% |
| 1970 | 76.0% | -0.3% |
| 1971 | 75.7% | -0.3% |
| 1972 | 75.5% | -0.3% |
| 1973 | 75.2% | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 74.9% | -0.4% |
| 1975 | 74.6% | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 74.4% | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 74.1% | -0.4% |
| 1978 | 73.8% | -0.4% |
| 1979 | 73.5% | -0.4% |
| 1980 | 73.2% | -0.4% |
| 1981 | 72.8% | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 72.5% | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 72.2% | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 71.9% | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 71.6% | -0.5% |
| 1986 | 71.2% | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 70.9% | -0.5% |
| 1988 | 70.5% | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 70.1% | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 69.7% | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 69.3% | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 68.9% | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 68.5% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 68.0% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 67.5% | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 67.1% | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 66.6% | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 66.1% | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 65.6% | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 65.1% | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 64.6% | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 64.1% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 63.5% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 63.0% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 62.6% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 62.2% | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 61.8% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 61.4% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 61.0% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 60.6% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 60.2% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 59.8% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 59.4% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 59.0% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 58.7% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 58.3% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 57.9% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 57.5% | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 57.1% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 56.7% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 56.4% | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 56.0% | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 55.6% | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 55.3% | -0.7% |
| 2025 | 54.9% | -0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 77.0% | 76.2% | 77.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 74.8% | 73.5% | 76.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 71.7% | 70.1% | 73.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 67.7% | 65.6% | 69.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 62.9% | 61.0% | 65.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 58.9% | 57.1% | 60.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 55.8% | 54.9% | 56.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
- 53 Togo 55.6% compare
- 54 Central African Republic 55.4% compare
- 55 Lesotho 55.3% compare
- 57 Seychelles 54.5% compare
- 58 Zambia 54.1% compare
- 59 Sierra Leone 54.1% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 6.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0893 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 72.04 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 2.57 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0007 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5489 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 8.9% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 8.9% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.6% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Rural population in Democratic Republic of Congo was 54.9% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 77.7% in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 54.9% in 2025.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for rural population?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 56th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.