Congo Population (1960-2026) & Projected growth

The current population of the Congo is 6,681,829 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 6,332,961 in 2024.

The Congo accounts for 0.08% of the world's population.
Since 2006, population has increased from 3.84M people to 6.68M (74.1% growth in 20 years).
The Congo is ranked 109/197 by population and was ranked 125th in 2006.
The Congo is projected to reach 20.2M people in 2100.
For the last 20 years, the Congo has had an average growth rate of 3.71% per year.

The Congo population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	20,197,393	0.7%
2099	20,056,338	0.74%
2098	19,909,990	0.74%
2097	19,763,169	0.76%
2096	19,613,556	0.78%
2095	19,462,505	0.79%
2094	19,309,823	0.81%
2093	19,154,254	0.85%
2092	18,993,517	0.86%
2091	18,831,137	0.88%
2090	18,666,035	0.89%
2089	18,500,705	0.94%
2088	18,328,408	0.95%
2087	18,156,542	0.97%
2086	17,982,556	0.97%
2085	17,810,599	1%
2084	17,634,115	1.02%
2083	17,455,922	1.06%
2082	17,273,447	1.04%
2081	17,095,916	1.08%
2080	16,913,187	1.09%
2079	16,731,545	1.13%
2078	16,545,390	1.13%
2077	16,360,458	1.14%
2076	16,175,508	1.2%
2075	15,984,378	1.2%
2074	15,794,071	1.25%
2073	15,599,735	1.27%
2072	15,404,494	1.29%
2071	15,207,921	1.31%
2070	15,011,471	1.36%
2069	14,810,543	1.36%
2068	14,612,051	1.37%
2067	14,415,033	1.42%
2066	14,213,222	1.43%
2065	14,012,829	1.45%
2064	13,813,071	1.48%
2063	13,611,733	1.53%
2062	13,407,155	1.52%
2061	13,206,406	1.53%
2060	13,006,970	1.55%
2059	12,808,144	1.56%
2058	12,611,185	1.58%
2057	12,415,316	1.6%
2056	12,219,298	1.62%
2055	12,024,601	1.67%
2054	11,826,644	1.69%
2053	11,629,783	1.72%
2052	11,433,645	1.75%
2051	11,236,927	1.77%
2050	11,041,020	1.79%
2049	10,846,652	1.83%
2048	10,651,879	1.88%
2047	10,455,019	1.9%
2046	10,260,138	1.93%
2045	10,065,444	1.95%
2044	9,872,742	2.02%
2043	9,677,498	2.04%
2042	9,483,953	2.1%
2041	9,288,673	2.1%
2040	9,097,986	2.13%
2039	8,908,556	2.16%
2038	8,720,599	2.18%
2037	8,534,256	2.21%
2036	8,350,011	2.23%
2035	8,167,940	2.27%
2034	7,986,915	2.31%
2033	7,806,956	2.32%
2032	7,629,621	2.35%
2031	7,454,630	2.33%
2030	7,285,238	2.33%
2029	7,119,031	2.34%
2028	6,956,345	2.36%
2027	6,795,830	2.35%
2026	6,639,560	2.38%
2025	6,485,440	2.41%
2024	6,332,961	2.43%
2023	6,182,885	2.45%
2022	6,035,104	2.43%
2021	5,892,183	2.42%
2020	5,752,791	2.42%
2019	5,616,661	2.44%
2018	5,483,118	2.47%
2017	5,351,011	2.46%
2016	5,222,536	2.45%
2015	5,097,581	2.45%
2014	4,975,880	2.45%
2013	4,857,099	2.46%
2012	4,740,450	2.84%
2011	4,609,724	3.3%
2010	4,462,290	4.23%
2009	4,281,219	4.08%
2008	4,113,517	3.34%
2007	3,980,430	3.73%
2006	3,837,409	3.81%
2005	3,696,393	3.67%
2004	3,565,554	3.48%
2003	3,445,753	2.83%
2002	3,350,771	2.39%
2001	3,272,537	3.85%
2000	3,151,345	3.91%
1999	3,032,874	2.74%
1998	2,952,061	2.22%
1997	2,887,862	2.16%
1996	2,826,785	2.81%
1995	2,749,461	2.85%
1994	2,673,144	3.01%
1993	2,595,124	3%
1992	2,519,465	2.87%
1991	2,449,229	2.88%
1990	2,380,560	2.9%
1989	2,313,558	2.93%
1988	2,247,653	2.94%
1987	2,183,473	2.96%
1986	2,120,602	2.98%
1985	2,059,311	2.99%
1984	1,999,528	2.52%
1983	1,950,321	2.09%
1982	1,910,430	2.18%
1981	1,869,759	2.23%
1980	1,828,985	2.26%
1979	1,788,524	2.31%
1978	1,748,089	2.37%
1977	1,707,568	2.42%
1976	1,667,225	2.47%
1975	1,627,032	2.83%
1974	1,582,301	3.17%
1973	1,533,680	3.18%
1972	1,486,468	3.15%
1971	1,441,039	3.11%
1970	1,397,638	3.06%
1969	1,356,182	3.01%
1968	1,316,519	2.96%
1967	1,278,691	2.91%
1966	1,242,534	2.87%
1965	1,207,880	2.81%
1964	1,174,816	2.76%
1963	1,143,263	2.7%
1962	1,113,175	2.65%
1961	1,084,389	2.62%
1960	1,056,732	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/congo | CC BY

The Congo has a population of 6.68M as of 2026, compared to 5.22M in 2016, 3.84M in 2006, and 2.83M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 2.79% per year. The Congo is ranked 35th out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) the Congo will have 10,260,138 people (53.6% growth) with a rank change from 109th to 95th.

By the year 2100, the Congo's population is projected to grow by 202.3% from its current level to 20.2M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	-2,999
2024	-	-	-2,491
2023	149,491	150,486	-995
2022	146,081	147,076	-995
2021	139,765	144,241	-4,476
2020	139,020	143,492	-4,472
2019	133,245	139,513	-6,268
2018	133,848	142,704	-8,856
2017	130,372	141,973	-11,601
2016	126,575	141,358	-14,783
2015	123,332	141,539	-18,207
2014	120,076	141,674	-21,598
2013	117,475	142,080	-24,605
2012	115,821	142,464	-26,643
2011	145,633	140,371	5,262
2010	149,226	136,908	12,318
2009	212,918	126,904	86,014
2008	122,485	120,711	1,774
2007	143,698	112,459	31,239
2006	142,351	106,876	35,475
2005	139,681	101,344	38,337
2004	121,989	96,577	25,412
2003	117,606	91,326	26,280
2002	72,357	88,497	-16,140
2001	84,112	84,876	-764
2000	158,271	78,491	79,780
1999	78,674	76,204	2,470
1998	82,950	72,450	10,500
1997	45,445	66,149	-20,704
1996	76,713	75,628	1,085
1995	77,936	74,189	3,747
1994	74,707	72,857	1,850
1993	81,337	71,119	10,218
1992	69,973	69,973	0
1991	70,500	68,534	1,966
1990	66,846	67,241	-395
1989	67,158	65,944	1,214
1988	64,651	64,629	22
1987	63,708	63,183	525
1986	62,036	61,669	367
1985	60,541	60,359	182
1984	59,028	59,028	0
1983	39,400	58,120	-18,720
1982	40,372	57,036	-16,664
1981	40,973	56,603	-15,630
1980	40,578	55,550	-14,972
1979	40,345	54,723	-14,378
1978	40,529	53,885	-13,356
1977	40,506	53,179	-12,673
1976	40,177	52,148	-11,971
1975	40,211	51,155	-10,944
1974	49,251	49,563	-312
1973	47,995	48,017	-22
1972	46,427	46,427	0
1971	44,431	44,431	0
1970	42,374	42,374	0
1969	40,532	40,532	0
1968	38,786	38,786	0
1967	36,866	36,866	0
1966	35,452	35,452	0
1965	33,865	33,865	0
1964	32,270	32,270	0
1963	30,832	30,832	0
1962	29,342	29,342	0
1961	28,220	28,220	0
1960	27,094	27,094	0

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/congo | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 94% of the population change in the Congo is from natural causes (a gain of 1,434,056 people) and 6.04% is from migration (a loss of 92,251 people).

As of 2024, 385,589 residents or 6.1% of the population were not native-born in the Congo, compared to 425,173 and 9.5% in 2010.

The Congo population clock

	Congo	Rank
Current population	6681829	109/197
Percent of world population	0.08%	109/197
One net population change	3.5 minutes	74/197
One birth every	2.78 minutes	86/196
One death every	13.5 minutes	117/196
Daily growth/decline	+411	74/197
Annual growth/decline	+150,076	74/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+2.43%	31/197
One migration net change every	2.93 hours	108/196
Annual migration change	-2,999	108/196
Foreign-born residents	385,589	91/195
Foreign-born share of population	6.1%	86/195

Largest cities by population

Congo
City	Population
Brazzaville	2.15M
Pointe-Noire	1.42M
Kayes	71.6K

Congo population statistics

	Congo	World
Life expectancy	66.4 years	73.8 years
Average age	24.2 years	33.8 years
Median age	19.5 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	50:50	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	4.16 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	50.4 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of the Congo.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/congo | CC BY