Home

Angola vs. Republic of the Congo

Demographics

AngolaRepublic of the Congo
Population33,642,646 (July 2021 est.)

note: Angola's national statistical agency projected the country's 2017 population to be 28.4 million
5,417,414 (July 2021 est.)

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
Age structure0-14 years: 47.83% (male 7,758,636/female 7,797,869)

15-24 years: 18.64% (male 2,950,999/female 3,109,741)

25-54 years: 27.8% (male 4,301,618/female 4,740,463)

55-64 years: 3.43% (male 523,517/female 591,249)

65 years and over: 2.3% (male 312,197/female 436,050) (2020 est.)
0-14 years: 41.57% (male 1,110,484/female 1,089,732)

15-24 years: 17.14% (male 454,981/female 452,204)

25-54 years: 33.5% (male 886,743/female 886,312)

55-64 years: 4.59% (male 125,207/female 117,810)

65 years and over: 3.2% (male 75,921/female 93,676) (2020 est.)
Median agetotal: 15.9 years

male: 15.4 years

female: 16.4 years (2020 est.)
total: 19.5 years

male: 19.3 years

female: 19.7 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate3.38% (2021 est.)2.36% (2021 est.)
Birth rate42.22 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)32.15 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Death rate8.24 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)8.55 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Net migration rate-0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sex ratioat birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 0.95 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.91 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female

total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female

total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Infant mortality ratetotal: 60.58 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 65.91 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 55.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
total: 49.28 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 53.82 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 44.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
Life expectancy at birthtotal population: 61.71 years

male: 59.66 years

female: 63.81 years (2021 est.)
total population: 61.69 years

male: 60.27 years

female: 63.16 years (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate5.9 children born/woman (2021 est.)4.41 children born/woman (2021 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate1.8% (2020 est.)3.3% (2020 est.)
Nationalitynoun: Angolan(s)

adjective: Angolan
noun: Congolese (singular and plural)

adjective: Congolese or Congo
Ethnic groupsOvimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, mestico (mixed European and native African) 2%, European 1%, other 22%Kongo 40.5%, Teke 16.9%, Mbochi 13.1%, foreigner 8.2%, Sangha 5.6%, Mbere/Mbeti/Kele 4.4%, Punu 4.3%, Pygmy 1.6%, Oubanguiens 1.6%, Duma 1.5%, Makaa 1.3%, other and unspecified 1% (2014-15 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS340,000 (2020 est.)110,000 (2020 est.)
ReligionsRoman Catholic 41.1%, Protestant 38.1%, other 8.6%, none 12.3% (2014 est.)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.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths16,000 (2020 est.)6,100 (2020 est.)
LanguagesPortuguese 71.2% (official), Umbundu 23%, Kikongo 8.2%, Kimbundu 7.8%, Chokwe 6.5%, Nhaneca 3.4%, Nganguela 3.1%, Fiote 2.4%, Kwanhama 2.3%, Muhumbi 2.1%, Luvale 1%, other 3.6%; note - data represent most widely spoken languages; shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census (2014 est.)French (official), French Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is the most widespread)

major-language sample(s):
Buku oyo ya bosembo ya Mokili Mobimba Ezali na Makanisi ya Liboso Mpenza. (Lingala)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Literacydefinition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 71.1%

male: 82%

female: 60.7% (2015)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 80.3%

male: 86.1%

female: 74.6% (2018)
Major infectious diseasesdegree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

animal contact diseases: rabies
degree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

animal contact diseases: rabies
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)total: 10 years

male: 12 years

female: 7 years (2011)
total: 11 years

male: 11 years

female: 11 years (2012)
Education expenditures3.4% of GDP (2010)3.5% of GDP (2018)
Urbanizationurban population: 67.5% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 4.04% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
urban population: 68.3% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 3.19% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Drinking water sourceimproved: urban: 81.7% of population

rural: 36.6% of population

total: 65.8% of population

unimproved: urban: 18.3% of population

rural: 63.4% of population

total: 34.2% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 97.5% of population

rural: 56.4% of population

total: 83.7% of population

unimproved: urban: 2.5% of population

rural: 43.6% of population

total: 16.3% of population (2017 est.)
Sanitation facility accessimproved: urban: 92.2% of population

rural: 29.2% of population

total: 70.1% of population

unimproved: urban: 7.8% of population

rural: 70.8% of population

total: 29.9% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 73.4% of population

rural: 15.1% of population

total: 53.9% of population

unimproved: urban: 26.6% of population

rural: 84.9% of population

total: 46.1% of population (2017 est.)
Major cities - population8.632 million LUANDA (capital), 871,000 Lubango, 819,000 Cabinda (2021)2.470 million BRAZZAVILLE (capital), 1.254 million Pointe-Noire (2021)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight19% (2015/16)12.3% (2014/15)
Health expenditures2.6% (2018)2.1% (2018)
Physicians density0.22 physicians/1,000 population (2017)0.17 physicians/1,000 population (2011)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate8.2% (2016)9.6% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth19.4 years (2015/16 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 20-49
19.8 years (2011/12 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 25-29
Demographic profile

More than a decade after the end of Angola's 27-year civil war, the country still faces a variety of socioeconomic problems, including poverty, high maternal and child mortality, and illiteracy. Despite the country's rapid post-war economic growth based on oil production, about 40 percent of Angolans live below the poverty line and unemployment is widespread, especially among the large young-adult population. Only about 70% of the population is literate, and the rate drops to around 60% for women. The youthful population - about 45% are under the age of 15 - is expected to continue growing rapidly with a fertility rate of more than 5 children per woman and a low rate of contraceptive use. Fewer than half of women deliver their babies with the assistance of trained health care personnel, which contributes to Angola's high maternal mortality rate.

Of the estimated 550,000 Angolans who fled their homeland during its civil war, most have returned home since 2002. In 2012, the UN assessed that conditions in Angola had been stable for several years and invoked a cessation of refugee status for Angolans. Following the cessation clause, some of those still in exile returned home voluntarily through UN repatriation programs, and others integrated into host countries.

The Republic of the Congo is one of the most urbanized countries in Africa, with nearly 70% of Congolese living in urban areas.  The population is concentrated in the southwest of the country, mainly in the capital Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and along the railway line that connects the two.  The tropical jungles in the north of the country are sparsely populated.  Most Congolese are Bantu, and most belong to one of four main ethnic groups, the Kongo, Teke, Mbochi, and Sangha, which consist of over 70 subgroups.

The Republic of Congo is in the early stages of a demographic transition, whereby a population shifts from high fertility and mortality rates to low fertility and mortality rates associated with industrialized societies.  Its total fertility rate (TFR), the average number of children born per woman, remains high at 4.4.  While its TFR has steadily decreased, the progress slowed beginning in about 1995.  The slowdown in fertility reduction has delayed the demographic transition and Congo's potential to reap a demographic dividend, the economic boost that can occur when the share of the working-age population is larger than the dependent age groups. 

The TFR differs significantly between urban and rural areas - 3.7 in urban areas versus 6.5 in rural areas.  The TFR also varies among regions.  The urban regions of Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire have much lower TFRs than other regions, which are predominantly or completely rural.  The gap between desired fertility and actual fertility is also greatest in rural areas.  Rural families may have more children to contribute to agricultural production and/or due to a lack of information about and access to contraception.  Urban families may prefer to have fewer children because raising them is more expensive and balancing work and childcare may be more difficult.  The number of births among teenage girls, the frequency of giving birth before the age of fifteen, and a lack of education are the most likely reasons for higher TFRs in rural areas.  Although 90% of school-age children are enrolled in primary school, repetition and dropout rates are high and the quality of education is poor.  Congolese women with no or little education start having children earlier and have more children in total than those with at least some secondary education.

 

Contraceptive prevalence rate13.7% (2015/16)30.1% (2014/15)
Dependency ratiostotal dependency ratio: 94.5

youth dependency ratio: 90.2

elderly dependency ratio: 4.3

potential support ratio: 23.5 (2020 est.)
total dependency ratio: 78.7

youth dependency ratio: 73.7

elderly dependency ratio: 4.9

potential support ratio: 20.3 (2020 est.)

Source: CIA Factbook