🌍 World Alive

DR Congo vs Ethiopia

Flag of DR Congo

DR Congo

112,832,473#15 · +3.20%/yr
vs
Flag of Ethiopia

Ethiopia

135,472,051#10 · +2.55%/yr

Ethiopia has 1.2× the population of DR Congo: 135,472,051 vs 112,832,473, a gap of 22.6 million. DR Congo is growing faster (+3.20% vs +2.55% a year), adding about 3,613,456 people a year against +3,455,994. Using continuous exponential growth from the stated base year, if these rates held, DR Congo would overtake Ethiopia in about 28 years (from the 2025 population bases, around 2053) — a projection, not a forecast. Ethiopia is 2.4× as densely populated (114.0 vs 46.7 people per km²). People in Ethiopia live 5.5 years longer on average (67.6 vs 62.1).

Country/territory population bases: World Bank 2025 (DR Congo) and 2025 (Ethiopia); growth years 2025 / 2025. Annual source values, not live counts; years may differ. Growth is national, not local.

DR Congo vs Ethiopia — side by side

Flag of DR Congo DR CongoFlag of Ethiopia Ethiopia
Population112,832,4732025135,472,0512025
Growth rate / yr+3.20%2025+2.55%2025
Births per 1,00040.9202431.52024
Deaths per 1,0008.420245.92024
Children per woman5.9820243.912024
Life expectancy62.1 yrs202467.6 yrs2024
Aged 0–1445.9%202538.8%2025
Aged 65+3.1%20253.3%2025
Density46.7 /km²2023114.0 /km²2023
Area2,344,860 km²20231,136,240 km²2023
Urban population45.1%202524.1%2025
Net migration / yr-27,3092025+24,0542025
GDP per capita$8072025$9332025
Country population rank (available records)#15#10
Base / world population (World Bank 2025)1.37%1.65%

Highlighted cell = the higher value (not "better"). Small print under each value is its own data year. Source: World Bank; country/territory population bases may have different years. These are not live counts.

Population since 1960

World Bank population history (not the separate UN WPP timeline). DR Congo: 7.4× from 1960 to 2025; Ethiopia: 6.3× from 1960 to 2025. Left: absolute population. Right: each series indexed to its own first available year = 100; baseline years may differ.

035.9M71.8M107.7M143.6M1960197019801990200020102020DR CongoEthiopia01963925887841960197019801990200020102020DR CongoEthiopia

More comparisons

Region: Sub-Saharan Africa · rankings

DR Congo: DR Congo vs India, DR Congo vs China, DR Congo vs United States, DR Congo vs Indonesia, DR Congo vs Pakistan, DR Congo vs Nigeria, DR Congo vs Brazil, DR Congo vs Bangladesh.

Ethiopia: Ethiopia vs India, Ethiopia vs China, Ethiopia vs United States, Ethiopia vs Indonesia, Ethiopia vs Pakistan, Ethiopia vs Nigeria, Ethiopia vs Brazil, Ethiopia vs Bangladesh.

Compare anything

vs

Pick any two. The result renders instantly from the same live data as the map, and the URL updates so you can share it.

What changed during your lifetime?

Turn these figures into a private, five-scene personal world story.

Compare like with like

This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.

A checklist for dates, definitions and rankings →

Interpretation reviewed 12 October 2026. Underlying reference years are stated on the page; this is not a fresh census or dataset refresh.