Demographics of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Encyclopedia
This article is about the demographic
features of the population
of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
, including ethnicity
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
As many as 250 ethnic group
s have been distinguished and named. The most numerous people are the Bakongo, Luba
, and Mongo
.
Although 700 local language
s and dialect
s are spoken, the linguistic variety is bridged both by the use of French
and the intermediary languages Kikongo, Tshiluba
, Swahili
, and Lingala
.
Christianity is the majority religion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, followed by about 95.1% of the population. Denominations include Protestant (including Kimbanguism
) 46.5%, Roman Catholic 41.5%, Orthodox
0.1%, other Christian
6.9%, Indigenous
2.8%, Muslim
0.9%, Non-religious 0.7%, Hindu
0.1%, and other 0.5%. Kimbanguism
was seen as a threat to the colonial regime and was banned by the Belgians. Kimbanguism, officially "the church of Christ on Earth by the prophet Simon Kimbangu", now has about three million members, primarily among the Bakongo
of Bas-Congo
and Kinshasa
. The largest concentration of Christians following William Branham is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it is estimated that there are up to 2,000,000 followers.
These are only estimates and do not account for Congolese migrants residing illegally in these countries. Among African countries, Congo's diaspora is second only to Nigeria in size.
note: fighting between the Congolese Government and Uganda- and Rwanda-backed Congolese rebels spawned a regional war in DRC in August 1998, which left 2.33 million Congolese internally displaced and caused 412,000 Congolese refugees to flee to surrounding countries (2011 est.)
Given the situation in the country and the condition of state structures, it is extremely difficult to obtain reliable data however evidence suggests that DRC continues to be a destination country for immigrants in spite of recent declines. Immigration is seen to be very diverse in nature, with refugees and asylum-seekers - products of the numerous and violent conflicts in the Great Lakes Region - constituting an important subset of the population in the country. Additionally, the country’s large mine operations attract migrant workers from Africa and beyond and there is considerable migration for commercial activities from other African countries and the rest of the world, but these movements are not well studied. Transit migration towards South Africa and Europe also plays a role. Immigration in the DRC has decreased steadily over the past two decades, most likely as a result of the armed violence that the country has experienced. According to the International Organization for Migration
, the number of immigrants
in the DRC has declined from just over 1 million in 1960, to 754,000 in 1990, to 480,000 in 2005, to an estimated 445,000 in 2010. Valid figures are not available on migrant workers in particular, partly due to the predominance of the informal economy
in the DRC. Data are also lacking on irregular immigrants, however given neighbouring country ethnic links to nationals of the DRC, irregular migration is assumed to be a significant phenomenon in the country.
Figures on the number of Congolese nationals abroad vary greatly depending on the source, from 3 to 6 million. This discrepancy is due to a lack of official, reliable data. Emigrants from the DRC are above all long-term emigrants, the majority of which live within Africa
and to a lesser extent in Europe
; 79.7% and 15.3% respectively, according to estimates on 2000 data. Most Congolese emigrants however, remain in Africa, with new destination countries including South Africa
and various points en route to Europe. In addition to being a host country, the DRC has also produced a considerable number of refugees and asylum-seekers located in the region and beyond. These numbers peaked in 2004 when, according to UNHCR, there were more than 460,000 refugees from the DRC; in 2008, Congolese refugees numbered 367,995 in total, 68% of which were living in other African countries.
These values are estimates dating from a census that is at least a decade old as the religious landscape in the Congo has dramatically changed since the collapse of the economy during the 80s and the advent of American Pentecostal movement. For instance, with more than 10 millions people, Kinshasa, the largest and capital city accounts for a number of charismatic or evangelical churches known as églises de reveil (awakening churches), whose members come primarily from the Roman Catholic Church, and in number may rival the Roman Catholic. Mega churches are all over the country. These charismatic churches also have a strong number of young followers in Kinshasa, Mbuji Mayi, and Lubumbashi. Roman Catholic percentage maybe a little less than 45%, mainstream Protestant 15%, and Kimbanguist 10%. The Islamic religion is not practiced as much anymore and is mostly concentrated in the eastern provinces and may be a little less than 1%. Catholics and mainstream Protestants call evangelical churches "sects", a derogatory term in the Congo for non-denominational churches. Evangelicals (or non-denominational churches) may therefore account for a little over 15% and indigenous beliefs the remaining of the population. In the diaspora, most Congolese belong to evangelical churches.
English is taught as a compulsory Foreign language in Secondary and High School around the country. It is a required subject in the Faculty of Economics at majors Universities around the country and there are countless language schools in major cities around the country that teach primarily English. In the town of Beni, for instance there is a Bilingual University that offer courses in both French and English. President Kabila himself is fluent in both English and French, as was his father.
, January 2008 (estimates 5.4 million excess deaths above sub-Saharan average from 1998 to 2007)
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
features of the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
, including ethnicity
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
s have been distinguished and named. The most numerous people are the Bakongo, Luba
Luba people
The Luba are one of the Bantu peoples of Central Africa. They are indigenous to the Katanga, Kasai, and Maniema regions which were historic provinces of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, and Mongo
Mongo people
The Mongo are the most numerous ethnic group of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They are a diverse collection of peoples living in the equatorial forest, south of the main Congo River bend and north of the Kasai and Sankuru Rivers...
.
Although 700 local language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
s and dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
s are spoken, the linguistic variety is bridged both by the use of French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and the intermediary languages Kikongo, Tshiluba
Tshiluba language
Luba-Kasai is a Bantu language spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it is a national language, along with Lingala, Swahili, and Kikongo. It is one of two major Congolese languages called "Luba"...
, Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
, and Lingala
Lingala language
Lingala, or Ngala, is a Bantu language spoken throughout the northwestern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a large part of the Republic of the Congo , as well as to some degree in Angola and the Central African Republic. It has over 10 million speakers...
.
Christianity is the majority religion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, followed by about 95.1% of the population. Denominations include Protestant (including Kimbanguism
Kimbanguism
Kimbanguism is a branch of Christianity founded by Simon Kimbangu in what was then the Belgian Congo . The church's name is the Kimbanguist Church , and is a large, independent African Initiated...
) 46.5%, Roman Catholic 41.5%, Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
0.1%, other Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
6.9%, Indigenous
Indigenous religion
Indigenous religion refers to those religions which are native to indigenous peoples around the world. They are one of the three broad divisions into which religions are categorised, along with world religions and new religious movements. The majority of the world's many thousands of religions fit...
2.8%, Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
0.9%, Non-religious 0.7%, Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
0.1%, and other 0.5%. Kimbanguism
Kimbanguism
Kimbanguism is a branch of Christianity founded by Simon Kimbangu in what was then the Belgian Congo . The church's name is the Kimbanguist Church , and is a large, independent African Initiated...
was seen as a threat to the colonial regime and was banned by the Belgians. Kimbanguism, officially "the church of Christ on Earth by the prophet Simon Kimbangu", now has about three million members, primarily among the Bakongo
Kongo people
The Bakongo or the Kongo people , also sometimes referred to as Kongolese or Congolese, is a Bantu ethnic group which lives along the Atlantic coast of Africa from Pointe-Noire to Luanda, Angola...
of Bas-Congo
Bas-Congo
Bas-Congo is one of the eleven provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the only province with a coastline and it borders Bandundu province to the east and Kinshasa to the northeast...
and Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
. The largest concentration of Christians following William Branham is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it is estimated that there are up to 2,000,000 followers.
Congolese diaspora
The table below shows DRC born people who have emigrated abroad (although it excludes their descendants).| Rank | Country | Region | DRC born population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  France |
Western Europe | 19,080 |
| 2 |  Canada |
North America | 14,125 |
| 3 |  Belgium |
Western Europe | 9,911 |
| 4 | Northern Europe | 8,569 | |
| 5 |  United States |
North America | 3,455 |
| 6 |  Switzerland |
Central Europe | 2,570 |
| 7 |  Norway |
Northern Europe | 1,759 |
| 8 |  Portugal |
Southern Europe | 1,453 |
| 9 |  Netherlands |
Western Europe | 1,314 |
| 10 |  Italy |
Southern Europe | 1,302 |
These are only estimates and do not account for Congolese migrants residing illegally in these countries. Among African countries, Congo's diaspora is second only to Nigeria in size.
CIA World Factbook demographic statistics
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.Population
- 71,712,867
- Note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and gender than would otherwise be expected (July 2011 est.)
Net migration rate
-0.54 migrant(s)/1,000 populationnote: fighting between the Congolese Government and Uganda- and Rwanda-backed Congolese rebels spawned a regional war in DRC in August 1998, which left 2.33 million Congolese internally displaced and caused 412,000 Congolese refugees to flee to surrounding countries (2011 est.)
Given the situation in the country and the condition of state structures, it is extremely difficult to obtain reliable data however evidence suggests that DRC continues to be a destination country for immigrants in spite of recent declines. Immigration is seen to be very diverse in nature, with refugees and asylum-seekers - products of the numerous and violent conflicts in the Great Lakes Region - constituting an important subset of the population in the country. Additionally, the country’s large mine operations attract migrant workers from Africa and beyond and there is considerable migration for commercial activities from other African countries and the rest of the world, but these movements are not well studied. Transit migration towards South Africa and Europe also plays a role. Immigration in the DRC has decreased steadily over the past two decades, most likely as a result of the armed violence that the country has experienced. According to the International Organization for Migration
International Organization for Migration
The International Organization for Migration is an intergovernmental organization. It was initially established in 1951 as the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration to help resettle people displaced by World War II....
, the number of immigrants
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
in the DRC has declined from just over 1 million in 1960, to 754,000 in 1990, to 480,000 in 2005, to an estimated 445,000 in 2010. Valid figures are not available on migrant workers in particular, partly due to the predominance of the informal economy
Informal economy
The informal sector or informal economy as defined by governments, scholars, banks, etc. is the part of an economy that is not taxed, monitored by any form of government, or included in any gross national product , unlike the formal economy....
in the DRC. Data are also lacking on irregular immigrants, however given neighbouring country ethnic links to nationals of the DRC, irregular migration is assumed to be a significant phenomenon in the country.
Figures on the number of Congolese nationals abroad vary greatly depending on the source, from 3 to 6 million. This discrepancy is due to a lack of official, reliable data. Emigrants from the DRC are above all long-term emigrants, the majority of which live within Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and to a lesser extent in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
; 79.7% and 15.3% respectively, according to estimates on 2000 data. Most Congolese emigrants however, remain in Africa, with new destination countries including South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and various points en route to Europe. In addition to being a host country, the DRC has also produced a considerable number of refugees and asylum-seekers located in the region and beyond. These numbers peaked in 2004 when, according to UNHCR, there were more than 460,000 refugees from the DRC; in 2008, Congolese refugees numbered 367,995 in total, 68% of which were living in other African countries.
gender ratio
- At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
- Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
- 15–64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
- Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Infant mortality rate
- Total: 78.43 deaths/1,000 live births
- Male: 82.20 deaths/1,000 live births
- Female: 74.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
- Total population: 55.33 years
- Male: 53.9 years
- Female: 56.8 years (2011 est.)
HIV/AIDS
- Adult prevalence rate: 4.2% (2003 est.)
- People living with HIV/AIDS: 1.1 million (2003 est.)
- Deaths: 100,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases
- Degree of risk: very high
- Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
- Vectorborne diseases: malaria, plague, and African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) are high risks in some locations
- Water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)
Ethnic groups
- Over 200 African ethnic groups of which the majority are Bantu; the four largest groups - MongoMongo-Geographic:* Mongo, Chad, a city* Mongo, Sierra Leone, a chiefdom* Mongo, Indiana, a small town in the United States* Mongo , the fictional setting for the adventures of Flash Gordon-People:...
, LubaLubaLuba may refer to:*Slavic origin feminine name which means "someone who has love"*Luba, Equatorial Guinea*Luba, Abra, a municipality in the Philippines*Ľubá, a village and municipality in the Nitra region of south-west Slovakia...
, KongoKongo peopleThe Bakongo or the Kongo people , also sometimes referred to as Kongolese or Congolese, is a Bantu ethnic group which lives along the Atlantic coast of Africa from Pointe-Noire to Luanda, Angola...
(all Bantu), and the Mangbetu-AzandeAzandeThe Azande are a tribe of north Central Africa. Their number is estimated by various sources at between 1 and 4 million....
make up about 45% of the population. The country has also 60,000 BelgiansBelgiansBelgians are people originating from the Kingdom of Belgium, a federal state in Western Europe.-Etymology:Belgians are a relatively "new" people...
, whose ancestors stepped out after it won independence.
Religions
- Protestant 46.5, Roman Catholic 41.5%, Muslim 0.9%, Non-religious 0.7%, Hindu 0.1% other syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs 2.8%
These values are estimates dating from a census that is at least a decade old as the religious landscape in the Congo has dramatically changed since the collapse of the economy during the 80s and the advent of American Pentecostal movement. For instance, with more than 10 millions people, Kinshasa, the largest and capital city accounts for a number of charismatic or evangelical churches known as églises de reveil (awakening churches), whose members come primarily from the Roman Catholic Church, and in number may rival the Roman Catholic. Mega churches are all over the country. These charismatic churches also have a strong number of young followers in Kinshasa, Mbuji Mayi, and Lubumbashi. Roman Catholic percentage maybe a little less than 45%, mainstream Protestant 15%, and Kimbanguist 10%. The Islamic religion is not practiced as much anymore and is mostly concentrated in the eastern provinces and may be a little less than 1%. Catholics and mainstream Protestants call evangelical churches "sects", a derogatory term in the Congo for non-denominational churches. Evangelicals (or non-denominational churches) may therefore account for a little over 15% and indigenous beliefs the remaining of the population. In the diaspora, most Congolese belong to evangelical churches.
Languages
- French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of SwahiliSwahili languageSwahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
), Kikongo, Tshiluba, over 200 ethnic languages
English is taught as a compulsory Foreign language in Secondary and High School around the country. It is a required subject in the Faculty of Economics at majors Universities around the country and there are countless language schools in major cities around the country that teach primarily English. In the town of Beni, for instance there is a Bilingual University that offer courses in both French and English. President Kabila himself is fluent in both English and French, as was his father.
Literacy
- Definition: age 15 and over can read and write French, Lingala, Kingwana, or Tshiluba
- Total population: 65.5%
- Male: 76.2%
- Female: 55.1% (2003 est.)
See also
- AlurAlur peopleAlur are an ethnic group who live mainly in the Nebbi, Zombo, and Arua districts in northwestern Uganda, but also in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, north of Lake Albert. They are part of the larger Luo group, and their language is closely related to Acholi...
- AzandeAzandeThe Azande are a tribe of north Central Africa. Their number is estimated by various sources at between 1 and 4 million....
- BanyamulengeBanyamulengeThe Banyamulenge is a term historically describing the ethnic Tutsi Rwandans concentrated on the High Plateau of South Kivu, in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo , close to the Burundi-Congo-Rwanda border...
- ChokweChokweThe Chokwe also pronounced Tchokwe are an ethnic group of Central Africa whose ancestry can perhaps be traced to Mbundu and Mbuti Pygmies. Large groups of Chokwe currently reside in Angola, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their language is usually referred to as Chokwe, a Bantu...
- HemaHema peopleThe Hema, or Hima, are an ethnic group with about 160,000 members located in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, in particular the Ituri region and Orientale province, as well as parts of Uganda and Rwanda...
- Kakwa
- LenduLenduThe Lendu, or Balendru, are an ethno-linguistic agriculturalist group residing in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in the area west and northwest of Lake Albert, in particular the Ituri region of Orientale province. Their language is one of the most populous of the Central Sudanic languages...
- LubaLuba peopleThe Luba are one of the Bantu peoples of Central Africa. They are indigenous to the Katanga, Kasai, and Maniema regions which were historic provinces of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo...
- MangbetuMangbetuThe Mangbetu are a people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, living in Orientale Province. The majority live in the villages of Rungu, Poko, Watsa, Niangara, and Wamba.-Language:...
- Twa peoples
- Yaka
External links
, International Rescue CommitteeInternational Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee is a leading nonsectarian, nongovernmental international relief and development organization based in the United States, with operations in over 40 countries...
, January 2008 (estimates 5.4 million excess deaths above sub-Saharan average from 1998 to 2007)