Compare
Congo - Kinshasa vs South Africa
How Congo - Kinshasa and South Africa compare on 38 measures, from 1820 to 2025. The main differences:
- Life expectancy · In 2023, South Africa was higher: 66.1 years against 61.9 years
- GDP per person · In 2025, South Africa was higher: $5,713 against $568
- Population · In 2023, Congo - Kinshasa was higher: 106 million people against 63.2 million people
- Military spending · In 2025, Congo - Kinshasa was higher: 1.38% of GDP against 0.74% of GDP
- CO₂ per person · In 2024, South Africa was higher: 6.88 tonnes against 0.06 tonnes
- Life expectancyCongo - Kinshasa: 61.9 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- PopulationCongo - Kinshasa: 106 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- GDP per personCongo - Kinshasa: $568 in 2025South Africa: $5,713 in 2025
- TemperatureCongo - Kinshasa: 24.9 °C in 2025South Africa: 18.3 °C in 2025
Every measure
Health
- Life expectancyCongo - Kinshasa: 61.9 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityCongo - Kinshasa: 9 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityCongo - Kinshasa: 49.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionCongo - Kinshasa: 3.96% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateCongo - Kinshasa: 11.6 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationCongo - Kinshasa: 106 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthCongo - Kinshasa: 3.26% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateCongo - Kinshasa: 6.05 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationCongo - Kinshasa: 45.1% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageCongo - Kinshasa: 15.8 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overCongo - Kinshasa: 3.1% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateCongo - Kinshasa: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personCongo - Kinshasa: $568 in 2025South Africa: $5,713 in 2025
- GDP growthCongo - Kinshasa: 8.5% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.1% a year in 2025
- InflationCongo - Kinshasa: 7.4% a year in 2025South Africa: 3.2% a year in 2025
- Government debtCongo - Kinshasa: 17.2% of GDP in 2023South Africa: 76% of GDP in 2024
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingCongo - Kinshasa: 1.38% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsCongo - Kinshasa: $1.08B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personCongo - Kinshasa: $11 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingCongo - Kinshasa: 8.1% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelCongo - Kinshasa: 134,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerCongo - Kinshasa: 0.59% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersCongo - Kinshasa: 0.41% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsCongo - Kinshasa: 44 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsCongo - Kinshasa: 22 million TIV in 1997South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025
Climate
Technology and environment
- CO₂ per personCongo - Kinshasa: 0.06 tonnes in 2024South Africa: 6.88 tonnes in 2024
- Internet usersCongo - Kinshasa: 19.7% in 2024South Africa: 78.4% in 2024
- Access to electricityCongo - Kinshasa: 22.5% in 2024South Africa: 90.2% in 2024
- Forest areaCongo - Kinshasa: 61.5% in 2024South Africa: 18.8% in 2024
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Sources: UN, Gapminder and UN IGME, IHME, World Bank, IMF, UNESCO, Our World in Data, V-Dem, UCDP, SIPRI, IISS, Correlates of War, ERA5, CMIP6, EDGAR, ITU and FAO. Each measure’s page names its own and what it counts.
- Values are drawn on today’s borders. Years without a published value are left empty, never filled in.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time