Republic of the Congo
Country in Africa
CountryScope
In brief
Population: 6.5M (2025). World rank 110 of 216; in Africa, 36 of 54. Area: 342,000 km². World rank 66 of 249; in Africa, 27 of 59. Life expectancy: 66 years (2024). World rank 187 of 216 (1 = best); in Africa, 27 of 54. From 2015 to 2025: population 5.1M → 6.5M, GDP $12.4B → $16.3B, and GDP per person $2,439 → $2,515.
State
- Official name
- Republic of the Congo
- Local name
- République du Congo
- Capital
- Brazzaville
- Region
- Africa
- Form of government
- Presidential republic
- UN member
- Yes
- Head of state
- Denis Sassou-Nguesso
- Head of government
- Anatole Collinet Makosso
- Independence
- August 15, 1960
- Women in parliament
- 14.6% 2025
Key figures
- Population
- 6,484,437 2025
- Area
- 342,000 km²
- GDP
- $16.3B 2025
- GDP per person
- $2,515 2025
- Life expectancy
- 66 years 2024
Practical information
- Languages
- French, Kikongo, Lingala
- Currency
- Central African CFA Franc (XAF)
- Time zones
- UTC+1
- Calling code
- +242
- Emergency numbers
- 117, 118
- Driving side
- Right
- Plug types
- C, E
- Mains voltage
- 230 V
Territory
- Sea access
- Has a coastline
- Coastline, km
- 169
- Neighbours
- Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Gabon
- Agricultural land
- 31.2% 2024
Elevation
- Highest point
- Mont Nabemba, 1,020 m
- Lowest point
- Atlantic Ocean, 0 m
- Mean elevation, m
- 430
Climate
- Average temperature in the capital, °C
- 25
- Warmest month in the capital
- September, 26°C
- Coldest month in the capital
- July, 24°C
- Precipitation, mm per year
- 1,646 2022
Population and migration
- Population density
- 19 per km² 2025
- Population growth per year
- +2.4% 2025
- Living in cities
- 64.1% 2025
- Net migration per year
- -3K 2025
- Born in another country
- 6.1% 2024
Age and life expectancy
- Aged 0–14
- 39.9% 2025
- Aged 15–64
- 57% 2025
- Aged 65 and over
- 3.1% 2025
- Life expectancy, women
- 67.7 years 2024
- Life expectancy, men
- 64.3 years 2024
Births and deaths
- Children per woman
- 4.1 2024
- Births per 1,000 people
- 30.4 2024
- Deaths per 1,000 people
- 6.2 2024
Society
- Religions
- Catholic 33.1%, other Christian 22.3%, Protestant 21.4%, no religion 11.3%, and other 10.3% (2007)
Quality of governance (100 = best)
- Rule of law, score 0–100
- 38.1 2025
- Control of corruption, score 0–100
- 19.3 2025
- Government effectiveness, score 0–100
- 28.4 2025
- Regulatory quality, score 0–100
- 34.9 2025
- Voice and accountability, score 0–100
- 34.3 2025
Size and growth
- GDP per person at purchasing power parity
- $7,248 2025
- GDP growth per year
- +3.1% 2025
Income and prices
- Income level (World Bank)
- Lower-middle income
- Gross national income per person
- $2,280 2025
- Inflation
- +2.4% 2025
- Price level, USA = 100
- 35 2025
Structure and jobs
- Agriculture, share of GDP
- 10.1% 2025
- Industry, share of GDP
- 35.6% 2025
- Services, share of GDP
- 54.3% 2025
- Unemployment
- 19.9% 2025
- Youth unemployment, ages 15–24
- 40.5% 2025
- Women in work or seeking work
- 65.6% 2025
Trade and finance
- Exports, share of GDP
- 48% 2025
- Imports, share of GDP
- 43.7% 2025
- Current account balance, share of GDP
- +11.6% 2021
- Foreign direct investment, share of GDP
- +3.7% 2025
- Remittances received, share of GDP
- 0.3% 2021
- Tax revenue, share of GDP
- 6.5% 2021
Poverty and inequality
- Gini index (0 = full equality)
- 48.9 2011
- Living on under $3 a day
- 39.2% 2011
Education
- Adult literacy
- 76.1% 2005
- Primary school enrolment
- 87.9% 2023
- Secondary school enrolment
- 50.5% 2012
- Higher education enrolment
- 10.4% 2023
- Public spending on education, share of GDP
- 3.3% 2023
Healthcare
- Health spending, share of GDP
- 3.3% 2023
- Health spending per person
- $76 2023
- Out-of-pocket health spending, share of total
- 28% 2023
- Doctors per 1,000 people
- 0.2 2022
- Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people
- 1.1 2022
- Hospital beds per 1,000 people
- 1.6 2005
- Children vaccinated against measles
- 72% 2024
Public health
- Infant deaths per 1,000 births
- 27 2024
- Deaths under age 5 per 1,000 births
- 39.1 2024
- Maternal deaths per 100,000 births
- 241 2023
- HIV prevalence, ages 15–49
- 3.2% 2024
- Diabetes prevalence, ages 20–79
- 8.1% 2024
- Overweight adults
- 24.2% 2022
- Adults who use tobacco
- 16.2% 2024
Living conditions
- Access to safe drinking water
- 73.5% 2021
- Access to basic sanitation
- 20.6% 2021
- Access to clean cooking fuels
- 40% 2024
Safety
- Road deaths per 100,000 people
- 29.7 2019
- Suicides per 100,000 people
- 6.7 2021
- Political stability and absence of violence, score 0–100
- 57.1 2025
- Natural hazards
- floods
Air and emissions
- Air pollution PM2.5, µg/m³
- 36.5 2023
- CO₂ emissions, tonnes per person
- 1.3 2024
- All greenhouse gases, tonnes CO₂e per person
- 3.9 2024
Nature and water
- Forest cover
- 64% 2024
- Protected areas
- 34.2% 2025
- Renewable fresh water, m³ per person
- 36,785 2022
- Water stress, share of fresh water withdrawn
- 0% 2022
Internet and communications
- Using the internet
- 47.3% 2024
- Mobile subscriptions per 100 people
- 96 2024
- Home broadband per 100 people
- 1.3 2023
- Internet domain
- .cg
Energy
- Access to electricity
- 53% 2024
- Electricity use, kWh per person
- 271 2024
- Renewable share of energy use
- 71.4% 2021
- Electricity from renewables
- 31.7% 2021
- Electricity from fossil fuels
- 68.5% 2024
Transport
- Air passengers per year
- 147,084 2023
- Airports
- 56 2025
- Railways, km
- 510 2014
Science and innovation
- Research spending, share of GDP
- 0.4% 2022
- Researchers per million people
- 127 2022
- Scientific articles per year
- 96 2023
- Patent applications by residents
- 19 1988
- High-tech share of manufactured exports
- 3.2% 2023