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Population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Population in cities over 1 million — Democratic Republic of the Congo

Population in cities over 1 million in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2025 — 27,360,595 people. Ranked 14 in the world out of 121. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 2,691.4%.

2025 27.36M people +4.38% vs 2024
World rank 14of 121
Period maximum 27.36M people2025
Period minimum 980,173 people1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Population in cities over 1 million — Democratic Republic of the Congo, 1960–2025010M20M30M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 980,173 people1962: 1,140,878 people1964: 1,330,259 people1966: 1,553,130 people1968: 1,797,963 people1970: 2,035,920 people1972: 2,261,726 people1974: 2,514,604 people1976: 2,798,769 people1978: 3,117,405 people1980: 3,475,897 people1982: 3,878,348 people1984: 4,331,648 people1986: 4,782,742 people1988: 5,282,263 people1990: 5,833,949 people1992: 6,445,006 people1994: 7,120,042 people1996: 7,867,904 people1998: 8,662,697 people2000: 9,430,126 people2002: 10,264,449 people2004: 11,174,014 people2006: 12,165,016 people2008: 13,244,051 people2010: 14,418,947 people2012: 15,698,235 people2014: 17,091,207 people2016: 18,607,980 people2018: 20,259,574 people2020: 22,065,674 people2022: 24,047,684 people2024: 26,211,368 people2025: 27,360,595 people
Change over the period: +26.38M (+2,691.4%) Average annual rate: 5.26 %

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo 27.36M people
World computed 2.01B people
Sub-Saharan Africa computed 204M people
Middle Africa computed 52.55M people
Low-income countries computed 94.17M people
Population in cities over 1 million — Democratic Republic of the Congo, by year Democratic Republic of the Congo All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 27.36M +1.15M +4.38%
2024 26.21M +1.1M +4.4%
2023 25.11M +1.06M +4.41%
2022 24.05M +1.01M +4.4%
2021 23.03M +968,300 +4.39%
2020 22.07M +923,951 +4.37%
2019 21.14M +882,149 +4.35%
2018 20.26M +843,376 +4.34%
2017 19.42M +808,218 +4.34%
2016 18.61M +774,528 +4.34%
2015 17.83M +742,245 +4.34%
2014 17.09M +711,309 +4.34%
2013 16.38M +681,663 +4.34%
2012 15.7M +653,254 +4.34%
2011 15.04M +626,034 +4.34%
2010 14.42M +599,946 +4.34%
2009 13.82M +574,950 +4.34%
2008 13.24M +550,995 +4.34%
2007 12.69M +528,040 +4.34%
2006 12.17M +506,040 +4.34%
2005 11.66M +484,962 +4.34%
2004 11.17M +464,761 +4.34%
2003 10.71M +444,804 +4.33%
2002 10.26M +426,301 +4.33%
2001 9.84M +408,022 +4.33%
2000 9.43M +392,131 +4.34%
1999 9.04M +375,298 +4.33%
1998 8.66M +392,348 +4.74%
1997 8.27M +402,445 +5.12%
1996 7.87M +383,646 +5.13%
1995 7.48M +364,216 +5.12%
1994 7.12M +346,265 +5.11%
1993 6.77M +328,771 +5.1%
1992 6.45M +313,450 +5.11%
1991 6.13M +297,607 +5.1%
1990 5.83M +282,977 +5.1%
1989 5.55M +268,709 +5.09%
1988 5.28M +256,220 +5.1%
1987 5.03M +243,301 +5.09%
1986 4.78M +231,366 +5.08%
1985 4.55M +219,728 +5.07%
1984 4.33M +233,487 +5.7%
1983 4.1M +219,813 +5.67%
1982 3.88M +207,261 +5.65%
1981 3.67M +195,190 +5.62%
1980 3.48M +184,602 +5.61%
1979 3.29M +173,890 +5.58%
1978 3.12M +164,049 +5.55%
1977 2.95M +154,587 +5.52%
1976 2.8M +146,286 +5.52%
1975 2.65M +137,879 +5.48%
1974 2.51M +130,155 +5.46%
1973 2.38M +122,723 +5.43%
1972 2.26M +116,208 +5.42%
1971 2.15M +109,598 +5.38%
1970 2.04M +122,791 +6.42%
1969 1.91M +115,166 +6.41%
1968 1.8M +118,711 +7.07%
1967 1.68M +126,122 +8.12%
1966 1.55M +116,098 +8.08%
1965 1.44M +106,773 +8.03%
1964 1.33M +98,627 +8.01%
1963 1.23M +90,754 +7.95%
1962 1.14M +83,660 +7.91%
1961 1.06M +77,045 +7.86%
1960 980,173 — —

Middle Africa, 2025

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

CD Democratic Republic of the Congo 27.36M AO Angola 10.03M CM Cameroon 9.2M CG Republic of the Congo 4.24M TD Chad 1.72M
Full table for all countries

About the indicator

The population of urban agglomerations with more than one million residents. The unit of count is the agglomeration, not the city within its administrative boundaries, and that is essential: along administrative lines many of the largest concentrations of people break up into dozens of municipalities. The indicator measures not urbanization as such but its concentration in large centers — a country can be highly urbanized without a single million-plus city.

Important: The table covers about 120 territories — the rest have no agglomerations of this size, and that is a zero, not a gap. Aggregates for groups of countries are therefore calculated at a lowered coverage threshold.

Source: World Population Prospects (UN), license CC BY 3.0 IGO.

Other indicators for the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Environment Share of population in cities over 1 million

What share of a country's population lives in agglomerations larger than a million.

Democratic Republic of the Congo by year Demography Urban population

The absolute number of city dwellers by country.

Democratic Republic of the Congo by year Demography Urban population share

What part of a country's residents lives in cities — the level of urbanization.

Democratic Republic of the Congo by year Environment Forest cover

What share of a country's territory is covered by forest.

Democratic Republic of the Congo by year Environment Forest area

The absolute area of forest in square kilometers.

Democratic Republic of the Congo by year Environment Protected areas

The share of land and sea under protection — nature reserves, national parks, sanctuaries.

Democratic Republic of the Congo by year
All indicators for the Democratic Republic of the Congo