Congo, Republic of the Demographics Profile 2008

Population

3,903,318
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 46.1% (male 906,345/female 894,568)
15-64 years: 51% (male 989,126/female 1,002,682)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 45,560/female 65,037) (2008 est.)

Median age

total: 16.7 years
male: 16.5 years
female: 17 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate

2.696% (2008 est.)

Birth rate

41.76 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate

12.28 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate

-2.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 81.29 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 86.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 75.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 53.74 years
male: 52.52 years
female: 55 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.92 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

4.9% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

90,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

9,700 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria and African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)
animal contact disease: rabies (2008)

Nationality

noun: Congolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Congolese or Congo

Ethnic groups

Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3%

Religions

Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%

Languages

French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is the most widespread)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.8%
male: 89.6%
female: 78.4% (2003 est.)