Demographics of the Republic of the Congo

This article is about the demographic features of the population of the Republic of the Congo, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

The Republic of the Congo's sparse population is concentrated in the southwestern portion of the country, leaving the vast areas of tropical jungle in the north virtually uninhabited. Thus, Congo is one of the most urbanized countries in Africa, with 85% of its total population living in a few urban areas, namely in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or one of the small cities or villages lining the 534-kilometre (332 mi) railway which connects the two cities. In rural areas, industrial and commercial activity has declined rapidly in recent years, leaving rural economies dependent on the government for support and subsistence. Before the 1997 war, about 15,000 Europeans and other non-Africans lived in Congo, most of whom were French. Presently, only about 9,500 remain. Pygmies make up 2% of Congo's population.[1]

Population
Population of the Republic of the Congo, Data of FAO, year 2005

According to the 2019 revision of the World Population Prospects[2][3] the total population was 5,244,359 in 2018, compared to only 808 000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 40.6%, 55.7% was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 3.7% was 65 years or older .[4]

Total population Population aged 0–14 (%) Population aged 15–64 (%) Population aged 65+ (%)
1950 808 00040.156.43.5
1955 899 00040.555.93.6
1960 1 014 00041.455.03.7
1965 1 158 00042.553.73.8
1970 1 335 00043.552.73.8
1975 1 555 00044.252.03.8
1980 1 798 00044.851.43.8
1985 2 081 00044.651.73.7
1990 2 389 00043.752.53.7
1995 2 733 00042.553.73.7
2000 3 136 00041.554.73.7
2005 3 533 00041.355.03.7
2010 4 043 00040.655.73.7

Vital statistics

Registration of vital events in the Republic of the Congo is incomplete. The Population Departement of the United Nations prepared the following estimates. [4]

Period Live births per year Deaths per year Natural change per year CBR* CDR* NC* TFR* IMR*
1950-195536 00018 00018 00042.220.921.45.68142
1955-196040 00017 00023 00042.318.324.05.79123
1960-196546 00018 00029 00042.816.226.65.99107
1965-197054 00018 00035 00043.114.828.36.1997
1970-197562 00020 00043 00043.113.729.46.2989
1975-198072 00021 00050 00042.712.829.96.2983
1980-198579 00023 00056 00040.912.029.05.9978
1985-199087 00026 00061 00038.911.427.45.5573
1990-199597 00031 00066 00037.812.125.65.2174
1995-2000111 00037 00074 00037.712.625.15.0175
2000-2005124 00042 00082 00037.212.524.64.8575
2005-2010136 00044 00092 00036.011.724.34.6472
* CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births; TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman)

Fertility and Births

Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):[5]

Year CBR (Total) TFR (Total) CBR (Urban) TFR (Urban) CBR (Rural) TFR (Rural)
2005 40,0 4,8 (4,4) 34,6 3,8 (3,5) 46,1 6,1 (5,7)
2011-2012 41,4 5,1 (4,5) 40,6 4,5 (4,1) 42,8 6,5 (5,5)

Fertility data as of 2011-2012 (DHS Program):[6]

Department Total fertility rate Percentage of women age 15-49 currently pregnant Mean number of children ever born to women age 40-49
Kouilou6.811.46.2
Niari5.911.95.4
Lékoumou6.59.95.7
Bouenza5.78.55.6
Pool6.410.25.5
Plateaux6.311.45.6
Cuvette6.412.55.6
Cuvette-Ouest6.010.16.1
Sangha5.811.95.4
Likouala7.011.76.4
Brazzaville4.38.74.3
Pointe-Noire4.69.24.5

Ethnic groups
Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, Teke 17%, M'Bochi 12%, Europeans and other 3%[7]

Languages
French (official), Lingala, Monokutuba (lingua franca), Kikongo, and many local languages and dialects.
The majority of the population is concentrated along the railroad between Pointe-Noire and Brazzaville in the south where Kituba (a creole language based on Kikongo) is the primary language. Lingala is influential in the sparsely inhabited northern half of the country.

Religion
Roman Catholic 33.1%, Awakening Churches/Christian Revival 22.3%, Protestant 19.9%, Salutiste 2.2%, Islam 1.6%, Kimbanguiste 1.5%, Other 8.1%, None 11.3% (2010 est.)[7]

Health

Life expectancy for the population was estimated at 54.91 years in 2011: 53.62 for males and 56.25 for females. The adult prevalence rate for HIV/AIDS was 3.4% as of 2009, representing 77,000 people living with the disease and 5,100 deaths. The Republic of Congo is considered to have a high degree of risk of infectious diseases, particularly bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and typhoid fever (all food- or waterborne), and malaria (vectorborne).

Period Life expectancy in
Years[8]
1950–1955 43.15
1955–1960 46.83
1960–1965 50.16
1965–1970 52.49
1970–1975 54.11
1975–1980 55.44
1980–1985 56.63
1985–1990 56.66
1990–1995 54.83
1995–2000 51.99
2000–2005 52.12
2005–2010 57.95
2010–2015 62.55

Education

As of 2003, 83.8% of the adult population was considered literate, consisting 89.3% of males and 78.4% of females.

Other demographic statistics

Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2019.[9]

  • One birth every 3 minutes
  • One death every 14 minutes
  • One net migrant every 144 minutes
  • Net gain of one person every 4 minutes

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook.[10]

Population

5,062,021 (July 2018 est.)

Age structure
Population pyramid of the Republic of the Congo in 2017
0-14 years: 41.75% (male 1,066,474 /female 1,046,924)
15-24 years: 16.99% (male 431,279 /female 428,999)
25-54 years: 33.77% (male 857,596 /female 851,712)
55-64 years: 4.39% (male 112,669 /female 109,429)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 69,621 /female 87,318) (2018 est.)
0-14 years: 41.67% (male 1,041,761/female 1,022,763)
15-24 years: 17.1% (male 424,521/female 422,755)
25-54 years: 33.89% (male 843,856/female 835,041)
55-64 years: 4.29% (male 106,776/female 105,573)
65 years and over: 3.06% (male 66,962/female 84,666) (2017 est.)

Median age
total: 19.6 years. Country comparison to the world: 199th
male: 19.4 years
female: 19.8 years (2018 est.)
total: 19.7 years
male: 19.5 years
female: 19.8 years (2017 est.)

Birth rate
33.7 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 26th
34.4 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Death rate
9.2 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 58th
9.5 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Total fertility rate
4.26 children born/woman (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 28th

Population growth rate
2.17% (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 38th
2.11% (2017 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth
19.8 years (2011/12 est.)
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Contraceptive prevalence rate
30.1% (2014/15)

Net migration rate
-2.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 172nd

Religions
Roman Catholic 33.1%, Awakening Churches/Christian Revival 22.3%, Protestant 19.9%, Salutiste 2.2%, Muslim 1.6%, Kimbanguiste 1.5%, other 8.1%, none 11.3% (2010 est.)

Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 84.5 (2015 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 78.3 (2015 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 6.2 (2015 est.)
potential support ratio: 16.1 (2015 est.)

Urbanization
urban population: 66.9% of total population (2018)
rate of urbanisation: 3.28% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Sex ratio
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate
total: 53.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
male: 58.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
female: 48.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
total population: 60.3 years (2018 est.)
male: 59 years (2018 est.)
female: 61.6 years (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS
Adult prevalence rate: 3.1% (2017 est.)
People living with HIV/AIDS: 100,000 (2017 est.)
HIV/AIDS deaths: 4,900 (2017 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate
9.6% (2016)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight
12.3% (2015)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

total population: 79.3% (2015 est.)
male: 86.4% (2015 est.)
female: 72.9% (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 11 years (2012)
male: 11 years (2012)
female: 11 years (2012)

References
  1. "Les pygmées du Congo en "danger d'extinction"". 5 August 2011 – via Le Monde.
  2. ""World Population prospects – Population division"". population.un.org. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  3. ""Overall total population" – World Population Prospects: The 2019 Revision" (xslx). population.un.org (custom data acquired via website). United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  4. Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision Archived May 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  5. "MEASURE DHS: Demographic and Health Surveys". microdata.worldbank.org.
  6. "Enquête Démographique et de Santé 2011-2012" (PDF). Dhsprogram.com. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  7. "Africa :: CONGO, REPUBLIC OF THE". CIA The World Factbook.
  8. "World Population Prospects - Population Division - United Nations". esa.un.org. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  9. "Republic of the Congo Population 2019", World Population Review
  10. "The World FactBook - Republic of the Congo", The World Factbook, July 12, 2018 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook document: "2006 edition".

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