Economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Economy of Democratic Republic of Congo
	Kinshasa, capital and economic center of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Currency	Congolese Franc (CDF)
Fiscal year	Calendar year
Trade organisations	AU, AfCFTA (signed), AfDB, SADC, COMESA, ECCAS, SADC, WTO, Group of 77
Country group	Least developed; Low-income economy;
Statistics
Population	95,894,118 (2021)
GDP	$79.244 billion (nominal, 2025 est.); $203.34 billion (PPP, 2025 est.);
GDP rank	86th (nominal, 2023); 86th (PPP, 2023);
GDP growth	1.7% (2020) 6.2% (2021); 6.6% (2022e) 6.3% (2023f);
GDP per capita	$743 (nominal, 2025 est.); $1,914 (PPP, 2025 est.);
GDP per capita rank	184th (nominal, 2023); 192rd (PPP, 2023);
GDP by sector	primary sector: 44.2%; industry: 22.6%; services: 33.1%; (2012 est.);
Inflation (CPI)	5.0% (2020 est.)
Population below poverty line	63.9% (2012); 76.6% on less than $1.90/day (2012);
Gini coefficient	42.1 medium (2012)
Human Development Index	0.479 low (2021) (179th); 0.341 IHDI (2021);
Corruption Perceptions Index	20 out of 100 points (2023, 162nd rank)
Labour force	29,699,289 (2019); 63.1% employment rate (2012);
Labour force by occupation	N/A
Unemployment	4.5% (2022)
Main industries	mining (copper, cobalt, gold, diamonds, coltan, zinc, tin, tungsten), mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, plastics, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods, beverages), metal products, lumber, cement, commercial ship repair
External
Exports	$8.872 billion (2012 est.)
Export goods	gold, diamonds, copper, cobalt, coltan, zinc, tin, tungsten, crude oil, wood products, coffee
Main export partners	China 68.9%; United Arab Emirates 7.02% (2023);
Imports	$8.187 billion (2012 est.)
Import goods	machinery, transportation equipment, fuel, food
Main import partners	China 34.9%; Zambia 12.5%; South Africa 12.1% (2023);
Gross external debt	$6.089 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Public finances
Foreign reserves	$1.633 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Revenues	$4.943 billion (2018 est.)
Expenses	$5.198 billion (2018 est.)
	All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars.

The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo declined drastically in the years leading up to and during the First and Second Congo Wars, despite being home to vast potential in natural resources and mineral wealth; its gross domestic product is $69.474 billion as of 2023. During the last five reported years, the exports of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have changed by $15.2B from $13.3B in 2017 to $28.5B in 2022. Since 2003, the DRC's economy has gradually grown, but it remains one of the poorest countries in the world.

At the time of its independence in 1960, the Democratic Republic of the Congo was the second most industrialized country in Africa after South Africa. It had a thriving mining sector, and its agriculture sector was relatively productive. Since then, decades of corruption, war, and political instability have been a severe detriment to further growth, today leaving DRC with a GDP per capita and a HDI rating that rank among the world's lowest and make the DRC one of the most fragile and, according to the United Nations, least developed countries in the world.

Despite this, the DRC is quickly modernizing; it tied with Malaysia for the largest positive change in HDI development in 2016. Government projects include strengthening the health system for maternal and child health, expansion of electricity access, water supply reconstructions, and urban and social rehabilitation programs.