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DR Congo vs Nigeria

Flag of DR Congo

DR Congo

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

Nigeria

237,527,782#6 · +2.06%/yr

Nigeria has 2.1× the population of DR Congo: 237,527,782 vs 112,832,473, a gap of 124.7 million. DR Congo is growing faster (+3.20% vs +2.06% a year), adding about 3,613,456 people a year against +4,898,468. Using continuous exponential growth from the stated base year, if these rates held, DR Congo would overtake Nigeria in about 65 years (from the 2025 population bases, around 2090) — a projection, not a forecast. Nigeria is 5.4× as densely populated (250.2 vs 46.7 people per km²). People in DR Congo live 7.4 years longer on average (62.1 vs 54.6). GDP per capita is 1.5× higher in Nigeria ($1,224 vs $807).

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

DR Congo vs Nigeria — side by side

Flag of DR Congo DR CongoFlag of Nigeria Nigeria
Population112,832,4732025237,527,7822025
Growth rate / yr+3.20%2025+2.06%2025
Births per 1,00040.9202432.52024
Deaths per 1,0008.4202411.62024
Children per woman5.9820244.382024
Life expectancy62.1 yrs202454.6 yrs2024
Aged 0–1445.9%202540.5%2025
Aged 65+3.1%20253.1%2025
Density46.7 /km²2023250.2 /km²2023
Area2,344,860 km²2023923,770 km²2023
Urban population45.1%202563.8%2025
Net migration / yr-27,3092025-15,2582025
GDP per capita$8072025$1,2242025
Country population rank (available records)#15#6
Base / world population (World Bank 2025)1.37%2.89%

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; Nigeria: 5.3× from 1960 to 2025. Left: absolute population. Right: each series indexed to its own first available year = 100; baseline years may differ.

062.9M125.9M188.8M251.8M1960197019801990200020102020DR CongoNigeria01963925887841960197019801990200020102020DR CongoNigeria

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.

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

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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.

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