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  3. DR Congo vs South Africa

The DR Congo's area vs South Africa's: size comparison by land type

Updated on by Georank team

The DR Congo is 1.92 times bigger by total area compared to South Africa: 905,355 sq mi vs 471,445 sq mi. Without inland water, the land area of the DR Congo is 875,313 sq mi vs 468,377 sq mi for South Africa — a 1.87 times difference in territory size.

  • The DR Congo ranks 11/197 by total surface area vs 24/197 for South Africa.
  • The DR Congo occupies 1.52% of the land mass of all countries, compared with 0.81% for South Africa.
  • 15.5% of the DR Congo's area is agricultural land vs 79.4% in South Africa.
  • The DR Congo has 0.74% of the world's agricultural land area — S. Africa has 2.02%.
  • 54.2% of the DR Congo is covered by forests, compared to 14% in S. Africa.
  • 3.04% of the world's forests are in the DR Congo, and 0.42% are in South Africa.

True size map comparison: DR Congo vs South Africa

See how the DR Congo and South Africa compare in true size on the map. Drag the outlines to different latitudes to see how the Mercator projection affects their apparent size.

Total size and land area comparison

DR Congo South Africa
Total area 905,355
sq mi 		471,445
sq mi
Size difference ratio 1.92 1
Total area rank 11/197 24/197
Share of all countries' surface area 0.46% 0.24%
Land area 875,313
sq mi 		468,377
sq mi
Land area difference ratio 1.87 1
Land area rank 11/197 24/197
Share of all countries' land area 1.52% 0.81%
Population 109,276,265 64,007,187
Population density 133.1 ppl/mi² 139.8 ppl/mi²

Surface area by type

DR Congo South Africa
Forest area 474,331
sq mi 		65,409
sq mi
Forest area as share of land 54.2% 14%
Forest area rank 7/196 39/196
World's forests share 3.04% 0.42%
Agricultural land area 135,505
sq mi 		371,975
sq mi
Agricultural land share 15.5% 79.4%
Agricultural land area rank 37/194 13/194
Share of global agricultural land 0.74% 2.02%
Arable land 57,521
sq mi 		46,332
sq mi
Arable land share 6.57% 9.89%
Arable land area rank 22/191 24/191
Permanent cropland 7,714
sq mi 		1,595
sq mi
Permanent cropland share 0.88% 0.34%
Permanent cropland area rank 24/192 57/192
Water area 30,042
sq mi 		3,068
sq mi
Water as share of total area 3.32% 0.65%
Water area rank 10/197 56/197
Roads length 94,680
mi 		466,028
mi
Land borders length 6,852
mi 		3,258
mi
Coastline length 23
mi 		1,739
mi
Share of marine protected waters 0.5% 15.4%

DR Congo vs South Africa size on the map

Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2026, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/size/dr-congo/south-africa | CC BY

The map above outlines the borders of the DR Congo and South Africa but is not accurate for size comparison because it's a 2d map with Mercator projection that distorts territories near the poles. The farther a country is from the equator, the more magnified it appears. More about country size projections.

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Data sources:

  1. World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2023–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
  2. Wikidata (2026, retrieved 2026-02-08)
  3. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2025, retrieved 2026-02-20)
  4. United Nations | World Population Prospects (2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)

Total agricultural land encompasses all areas used for agriculture: territories under permanent and temporary crops and pastures. It includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vineyards, but excludes sites utilized for timber production.

Arable land encompasses fields utilized for temporary crop production, pastures, market or kitchen gardens, and temporarily fallowed land. Land abandoned due to shifting cultivation practices is not included.

Permanent cropland refers to farmland for the long-term cultivation of crops, such as coffee, cocoa, and rubber, which do not require replanting after each harvest. This category encompasses land with permanent crops like flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vines, but does not include land under trees for timber production.

Inland areas under water, such as large rivers, lakes, and some coastal waterways.

Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) — you’re free to copy, share, remix, adapt, and use even commercially as long as you give appropriate credit and clearly indicate if you made changes. Other sources may be subject to different license terms.