Congo - Kinshasa vs South Africa
Congo - Kinshasa vs South Africa: Girls in primary school
Girls in primary school: 35.9% in Congo - Kinshasa in 1999 and 86.7% in South Africa in 2017, by Our World in Data estimates. In 1999 the value was higher in South Africa, by 52.1 percentage points, or 2.45 times that in Congo - Kinshasa.
% of girls of primary-school age · Our World in Data
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1820.
- The world as a whole: 79.9% in 1999.
Every year
% of girls of primary-school age · Our World in Data
| Year | Congo - Kinshasa | South Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | – | – | 88.2 |
| 2017 | – | 86.7 | 88.2 |
| 2016 | – | – | 88.3 |
| 2015 | – | – | 88.2 |
| 2014 | – | – | 88.3 |
| 2013 | – | – | 88.2 |
| 2012 | – | – | 88.2 |
| 2011 | – | – | 88.1 |
| 2010 | – | – | 87.9 |
| 2009 | – | – | 87.9 |
| 2008 | – | – | 87.6 |
| 2007 | – | – | 87.2 |
| 2006 | – | – | 86 |
| 2005 | – | 88.9 | 85.4 |
| 2004 | – | 89.3 | 84.7 |
| 2003 | – | 89.7 | 83.5 |
| 2002 | – | 88.3 | 81.4 |
| 2001 | – | 87.6 | 81 |
| 2000 | – | 86.3 | 80.7 |
| 1999 | 35.9 | 88 | 79.9 |
| 1998 | – | 86.7 | 78.9 |
| 1997 | – | – | 78.1 |
| 1996 | – | – | 77.9 |
| 1995 | 56 | 90.9 | 78 |
| 1994 | 52.7 | 90.2 | 78.3 |
| 1993 | 52.5 | – | 78 |
| 1992 | 53.1 | – | 77.7 |
| 1991 | 54.1 | 89 | 77.8 |
| 1990 | – | – | 77.3 |
| 1989 | – | – | 77.6 |
| 1988 | 56.5 | – | 76.6 |
| 1987 | – | – | 75.8 |
| 1986 | – | – | 75.3 |
| 1985 | – | – | 74 |
| 1980 | 62.1 | 88 | 75.8 |
| 1975 | 54.6 | 88 | 72.9 |
| 1970 | 50 | 88 | 69 |
| 1965 | 43.9 | 78.2 | 66 |
| 1960 | 28.8 | 75.6 | 63.1 |
| 1955 | 4.4 | 68.4 | 57.4 |
| 1950 | 4.1 | 61.3 | 51.4 |
| 1945 | 2.8 | 54.2 | 43.5 |
| 1940 | 1.8 | 47.1 | 40 |
| 1935 | 1.2 | 39.9 | 38.2 |
| 1930 | 0.8 | 32.8 | 36.4 |
| 1925 | 0.5 | 25.7 | 33 |
| 1920 | 0.3 | 18.6 | 30.5 |
| 1915 | 0.2 | 11.4 | 29.2 |
| 1910 | 0.1 | 4.3 | 28.1 |
| 1905 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 25.1 |
| 1900 | 0 | 1.5 | 23.3 |
| 1895 | 0 | 1.3 | 21.8 |
| 1890 | 0 | 1 | 20 |
| 1885 | 0 | 0.8 | 19 |
| 1880 | 0 | 0.6 | 17.2 |
| 1875 | 0 | 0.4 | 15.7 |
| 1870 | 0 | 0.3 | 13.2 |
| 1865 | 0 | 0.3 | 10.6 |
| 1860 | 0 | 0.2 | 9.3 |
| 1855 | 0 | 0.1 | 8 |
| 1850 | 0 | 0.1 | 6.8 |
| 1845 | 0 | 0.1 | 5.9 |
| 1840 | 0 | 0.1 | 5.2 |
| 1835 | 0 | 0.1 | 4.5 |
| 1830 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1825 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 |
| 1820 | 0 | 0 | 3.1 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of girls of primary-school age who are enrolled in school.
- Source: Our World in Data, joining historical estimates to the World Bank’s.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Congo - Kinshasa vs South Africa
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