Congo - Kinshasa vs South Africa
Congo - Kinshasa vs South Africa: Inflation
Inflation in 2025: 7.4% a year in Congo - Kinshasa and 3.2% a year in South Africa, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Congo - Kinshasa, by 4.2 percentage points, or 2.3 times that in South Africa.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Congo - Kinshasa has been higher since 2017, when it overtook South Africa.
- In 2025, Congo - Kinshasa ranked 30 and South Africa ranked 79 of 179 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Congo - Kinshasa at 7% a year and South Africa at 3% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Congo - Kinshasa | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7.4 | 3.2 |
| 2024 | 17.7 | 4.4 |
| 2023 | 19.9 | 5.9 |
| 2022 | 9.3 | 6.9 |
| 2021 | 9 | 4.6 |
| 2020 | 11.4 | 3.3 |
| 2019 | 4.7 | 4.1 |
| 2018 | 29.3 | 4.6 |
| 2017 | 35.7 | 5.3 |
| 2016 | 3.2 | 6.3 |
| 2015 | 0.7 | 4.6 |
| 2014 | 1.2 | 6.1 |
| 2013 | 0.9 | 5.7 |
| 2012 | 0.9 | 5.7 |
| 2011 | 15 | 5 |
| 2010 | 23.5 | 4.2 |
| 2009 | 46.1 | 7.2 |
| 2008 | 18 | 10.9 |
| 2007 | 16.7 | 7.1 |
| 2006 | 12.9 | 4.7 |
| 2005 | 21.6 | 3.4 |
| 2004 | 4 | 1.4 |
| 2003 | 12.8 | 5.9 |
| 2002 | 25.3 | 9.1 |
| 2001 | 357.3 | 5.7 |
| 2000 | 550 | 5.3 |
| 1999 | 284.9 | 5.1 |
| 1998 | 29.1 | 7 |
| 1997 | 199 | 8.6 |
| 1996 | 617 | 7.4 |
| 1995 | 541.8 | 8.8 |
| 1994 | 23,770 | 8.9 |
| 1993 | 1,987 | 9.6 |
| 1992 | 4,129 | 14 |
| 1991 | 2,154 | 15.1 |
| 1990 | 81.3 | 14.4 |
| 1989 | 104.1 | 14.8 |
| 1988 | 82.8 | 12.6 |
| 1987 | 90.4 | 16.4 |
| 1986 | 46.7 | 18.2 |
| 1985 | 23.5 | 16.5 |
| 1984 | 52.6 | 11.3 |
| 1983 | 76.7 | 12.7 |
| 1982 | 37.1 | 14 |
| 1981 | 34.9 | 15.9 |
| 1980 | 40 | 14.2 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Congo - Kinshasa | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4.3 | 4.4 |
| 2027 | 7.4 | 3.9 |
| 2028 | 7 | 3.3 |
| 2029 | 7 | 3 |
| 2030 | 7 | 3 |
| 2031 | 7 | 3 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much consumer prices rose in a year, on average.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 179 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
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
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