Economy - overview:
The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - a nation endowed with vast natural resource wealth - continues to perform poorly. Systemic corruption since independence in 1960, combined with countrywide instability and intermittent conflict that began in the early-90s, has reduced national output and government revenue, and increased external debt. With the installation of a transitional government in 2003 after peace accords, economic conditions slowly began to improve as the government reopened relations with international financial institutions and international donors, and President KABILA began implementing reforms. Progress on implementing substantive economic reforms remains slow because of political instability, bureaucratic inefficiency, corruption, and patronage, which also dampen international investment prospects.Renewed activity in the mining sector, the source of most export income, boosted Kinshasa's fiscal position and GDP growth until 2015, but low commodity prices have led to slower growth, volatile inflation, currency depreciation, and a growing fiscal deficit. An uncertain legal framework, corruption, and a lack of transparency in government policy are long-term problems for the large mining sector and for the economy as a whole. Much economic activity still occurs in the informal sector and is not reflected in GDP data.Poverty remains widespread in DRC, and the country failed to meet any Millennium Development Goals by 2015. DRC also concluded its program with the IMF in 2015. The price of copper – the DRC’s primary export - plummeted in 2015 and remained at record lows during 2016-17, reducing government revenues, expenditures, and foreign exchange reserves, while inflation reached nearly 50% in mid-2017 – its highest level since the early 2000s.
GDP (purchasing power parity): GDP (official exchange rate): GDP - real growth rate: GDP - per capita (PPP): Gross national saving: GDP - composition, by end use: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: Agriculture - products: Industries: Industrial production growth rate: Labor force: Labor force - by occupation: Unemployment rate: Population below poverty line: Household income or consumption by percentage share: Budget: Taxes and other revenues: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): Public debt: Fiscal year: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Central bank discount rate: Commercial bank prime lending rate: Stock of narrow money: Stock of broad money: Stock of domestic credit: Market value of publicly traded shares: Current account balance: Exports: Exports - commodities: Exports - partners: Imports: Imports - commodities: Imports - partners: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Debt - external: Exchange rates:
$67.99 billion (2017 est.)
$66.15 billion (2016 est.)
$64.6 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 104
$40.42 billion (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
2.8% (2017 est.)
2.4% (2016 est.)
6.9% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
$800 (2017 est.)
$800 (2016 est.)
$800 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 227
7.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
8.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
16.3% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]
household consumption: 76.4%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 11.8%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 13.8%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 0%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 30.5%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -32.5% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]
agriculture: 21.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 33%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 45.9% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]
coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, cotton, cocoa, quinine, cassava (manioc, tapioca), bananas, plantains, peanuts, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products
mining (copper, cobalt, gold, diamonds, coltan, zinc, tin, tungsten), mineral processing, consumer products (textiles, plastics, footwear, cigarettes), metal products, processed foods and beverages, timber, cement, commercial ship repair
1.6% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]
31.36 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]
agriculture: NA%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: NA%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: NA%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]
NA%
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]
63% (2012 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]
lowest 10%: 2.3%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 34.7% (2006)
revenues: $3.238 billion
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $3.366 billion (2017 est.)
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]
8% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 216
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]
-0.3% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 41
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]
14.6% of GDP (2017 est.)
17.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]
calendar year
41.7% (2017 est.)
18.2% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 225
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
4% (31 December 2012)
20% (31 December 2011)
country comparison to the world: 98
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]
35.9% (31 December 2017 est.)
18.76% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]
$1.386 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.192 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]
$3.863 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$4.272 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]
$3.492 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$3.523 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]
$NA
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]
-$1.849 billion (2017 est.)
-$1.334 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]
$8.598 billion (2017 est.)
$8.228 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
[see also: Exports country ranks ]
diamonds, copper, gold, cobalt, wood products, crude oil, coffee
China 35.3%, Zambia 15.8%, South Korea 8.7%, Saudi Arabia 8%, Belgium 5.2% (2016)
$8.845 billion (2017 est.)
$8.671 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels
China 20.2%, South Africa 15.7%, Zambia 8.6%, Belgium 7.6%, Tanzania 5.8%, France 5.2%, India 4.6%, Kenya 4.2% (2016)
$444.6 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$708.2 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]
$5.324 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$5.35 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
Congolese francs (CDF) per US dollar -
1,546.8 (2017 est.)
1,010.3 (2016 est.)
1,010.3 (2015 est.)
925.99 (2014 est.)
925.23 (2013 est.)