International Democratic Republic of the Congo relations

Country profile & diplomacy overview · 28 relations tracked

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a country located in central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and has a population of approximately 87 million people. The DRC has a diverse population with more than 200 ethnic groups and over 700 languages spoken.

Population

81.5M#19 of 203

Land area

2.3M km²#11 of 203

GDP

$91.0B#81 of 197

Military expenditure

$899.2M#92 of 167

Global influence

#85Low

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Closest relations Strained relations Democratic Republic of the Congo No data

The DRC has a long history of conflict and political instability, which has had a significant impact on the country and its people. From the late 19th century until the early 1960s, the DRC was a colony of Belgium, and it gained independence in 1960. Since independence, the DRC has experienced numerous coups, civil wars, and armed conflicts, which have caused widespread suffering and disrupted the country's political, economic, and social development.

One of the major conflicts in the DRC was the Second Congo War (also known as the Great War of Africa or the African World War), which lasted from 1998 to 2003 and was one of the deadliest conflicts in African history. The war was fought between the government of President Laurent-Désiré Kabila and various rebel groups and involved several neighboring countries. The conflict resulted in the deaths of an estimated 5.4 million people and caused widespread displacement and suffering.

In recent years, the DRC has experienced relative peace and stability, although there are still ongoing conflicts in some parts of the country, particularly in the eastern provinces. The DRC is rich in natural resources, including minerals such as copper, cobalt, diamonds, and coltan, but the country's economic development has been hindered by corruption, mismanagement, and a lack of infrastructure. The DRC is also facing significant challenges in terms of public health, including the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the eastern part of the country.

Geography & terrain

Dominated by the vast Congo Basin rainforest, with savanna plateaus in the south and rugged volcanic highlands along the Albertine Rift in the east. Hot, humid equatorial climate with heavy year-round rainfall in the basin. A short Atlantic coastline (roughly 40 km) exists only at the mouth of the Congo River. The dense rainforest and poor infrastructure make deep interior invasion logistically punishing, but the country's sheer size and mountainous, porous eastern borders make full territorial control difficult to achieve.

Key facts

Diverse sources: UN, World Bank, Democratic Republic of the Congo Statistics Office/Department. Most recent available data
Capital	Kinshasa (12.7M people, 15.6% of total population)
Population	81.5M (#19 of 203 countries)
Land area	2.3M km² (#11 of 203 countries)
Main religion	Christianity, Islam
Life expectancy	60 years

Source: World Bank Open Data. Most recent available data (2025)
Currency	Congolese Franc
Main language(s)	French
Government type	Semi-presidential republic
Time zone	UTC+1.0
GDP	$91.0B (#81 of 197 countries)
GDP per capita	$807 (#188 of 198 countries)
International calling code	+243
Driving side	Right
UNESCO World Heritage Sites	5
Military expenditure	$899.2M
Land military expenditure (estimation)	$674.4M
Air military expenditure (estimation)	$134.9M
Naval military expenditure (estimation)	$89.9M
Military expenditure (% of GDP)	1.2%
Military expenditure per capita	$11
Nuclear power	No
European Union	Not a member
NATO	Not a member
Other groups	African Union

Shares a land border with 9 countries — here is how those relations stand

Democratic Republic of the Congo's relations with its neighbors

Most similar countries, by language, currency, GDP per capita, borders & international groups

Rank #85 Low International Influence

Democratic Republic of the Congo's actions have a very limited effect on the world or on other countries.

See the full world influence ranking →

Most intense relations

Top 5 relations of Democratic Republic of the Congo by overall intensity. Intensity reflects the level and significance of interaction—not whether the relationship is positive or negative.

Closest relations

Top 5 closest relations of Democratic Republic of the Congo, by score

Most strained relations

Top 5 strained relations of Democratic Republic of the Congo, by score

Relations by category

Excellent: 8-10 · Good: 6-8 · Neutral: 4-6 · Bad: 2-4 · Very bad: 0-2

relations

Excellent 2 · 7%
Good 9 · 32%
Neutral 15 · 54%
Bad 1 · 4%
Very bad 1 · 4%

All relations of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo has no historical data recorded yet with these countries. Their relation pages still exist, with a neutral starting score.

Undocumented relations of Democratic Republic of the Congo