Congo - Kinshasa vs South Korea
Congo - Kinshasa vs South Korea: GDP growth
GDP growth: 8.5% a year in Congo - Kinshasa in 2023 and 1.1% a year in South Korea in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Congo - Kinshasa, by 7.1 percentage points, or 5.76 times that in South Korea.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Congo - Kinshasa has been higher since 2020, when it overtook South Korea.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Congo - Kinshasa at 5.5% a year and South Korea at 1.9% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Congo - Kinshasa | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5.7 | 1.1 |
| 2024 | 6.1 | 2.2 |
| 2023 | 8.5 | 1.5 |
| 2022 | 9.3 | 2.9 |
| 2021 | 6.4 | 4.7 |
| 2020 | 0.8 | -0.7 |
| 2019 | 0.6 | 2.3 |
| 2018 | 6.1 | 3.2 |
| 2017 | 4.2 | 3.4 |
| 2016 | 0.4 | 3.2 |
| 2015 | 6.4 | 2.9 |
| 2014 | 7.3 | 3.2 |
| 2013 | 9.6 | 3.3 |
| 2012 | 8.7 | 2.5 |
| 2011 | 7.6 | 3.7 |
| 2010 | 7.8 | 7 |
| 2009 | 0.6 | 0.8 |
| 2008 | 7.4 | 3 |
| 2007 | 8.5 | 5.8 |
| 2006 | 5.1 | 5.2 |
| 2005 | 9.8 | 4.4 |
| 2004 | 7.7 | 5.2 |
| 2003 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
| 2002 | 2.9 | 7.7 |
| 2001 | -2.1 | 4.7 |
| 2000 | -8.1 | 9.2 |
| 1999 | -3.8 | 11.6 |
| 1998 | -3.9 | -4.9 |
| 1997 | -7.8 | 6.3 |
| 1996 | -1.9 | 8 |
| 1995 | 2.8 | 9.7 |
| 1994 | -6.1 | 9.4 |
| 1993 | -13.5 | 7 |
| 1992 | -10.5 | 6.4 |
| 1991 | -8.4 | 10.9 |
| 1990 | -6.6 | 10 |
| 1989 | -1.3 | 7.2 |
| 1988 | 0.5 | 12.1 |
| 1987 | 2.7 | 12.9 |
| 1986 | 4.7 | 11.5 |
| 1985 | 0.5 | 7.9 |
| 1984 | 4.8 | 10.6 |
| 1983 | 1.4 | 13.5 |
| 1982 | -0.5 | 8.5 |
| 1981 | 0.9 | 7.4 |
| 1980 | 2.4 | -1.5 |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Congo - Kinshasa | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5.2 | 3.3 |
| 2027 | 5.7 | 2.8 |
| 2028 | 5.5 | 2.3 |
| 2029 | 5.5 | 2.1 |
| 2030 | 5.5 | 1.9 |
| 2031 | 5.5 | 1.9 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- 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 143 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 Korea
Health
- Life expectancyCongo - Kinshasa: 61.9 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityCongo - Kinshasa: 9 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityCongo - Kinshasa: 49.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterCongo - Kinshasa: 11.6% in 2022South Korea: 99.3% in 2022
- DepressionCongo - Kinshasa: 3.96% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateCongo - Kinshasa: 11.6 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationCongo - Kinshasa: 106 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthCongo - Kinshasa: 3.26% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateCongo - Kinshasa: 6.05 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationCongo - Kinshasa: 45.1% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageCongo - Kinshasa: 15.8 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overCongo - Kinshasa: 3.1% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateCongo - Kinshasa: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingCongo - Kinshasa: 1.38% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsCongo - Kinshasa: $1.08B in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personCongo - Kinshasa: $11 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingCongo - Kinshasa: 8.1% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelCongo - Kinshasa: 134,000 people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerCongo - Kinshasa: 0.59% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersCongo - Kinshasa: 0.41% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsCongo - Kinshasa: 44 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsCongo - Kinshasa: 22 million TIV in 1997South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025
Climate
Technology and environment
- CO₂ per personCongo - Kinshasa: 0.06 tonnes in 2024South Korea: 11.36 tonnes in 2024
- Internet usersCongo - Kinshasa: 19.7% in 2024South Korea: 97.9% in 2024
- Access to electricityCongo - Kinshasa: 22.5% in 2024South Korea: 100% in 2024
- Forest areaCongo - Kinshasa: 61.5% in 2024South Korea: 64.4% in 2024