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Tanzania vs. Democratic Republic of the Congo

Demographics

TanzaniaDemocratic Republic of the Congo
Population62,092,761 (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
105,044,646 (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: 42.7% (male 12,632,772/female 12,369,115)

15-24 years: 20.39% (male 5,988,208/female 5,948,134)

25-54 years: 30.31% (male 8,903,629/female 8,844,180)

55-64 years: 3.52% (male 954,251/female 1,107,717)

65 years and over: 3.08% (male 747,934/female 1,056,905) (2020 est.)
0-14 years: 46.38% (male 23,757,297/female 23,449,057)

15-24 years: 19.42% (male 9,908,686/female 9,856,841)

25-54 years: 28.38% (male 14,459,453/female 14,422,912)

55-64 years: 3.36% (male 1,647,267/female 1,769,429)

65 years and over: 2.47% (male 1,085,539/female 1,423,782) (2020 est.)
Median agetotal: 18.2 years

male: 17.9 years

female: 18.4 years (2020 est.)
total: 16.7 years

male: 16.5 years

female: 16.8 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate2.81% (2021 est.)3.16% (2021 est.)
Birth rate33.71 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)40.53 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Death rate5.17 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)8.15 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Net migration rate-0.44 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)-0.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sex ratioat 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: 1.01 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.86 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female

total population: 1 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

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

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

55-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female

total population: 1 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Infant mortality ratetotal: 31.51 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 34.36 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 28.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
total: 62.63 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 68.39 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 56.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
Life expectancy at birthtotal population: 69.9 years

male: 68.12 years

female: 71.74 years (2021 est.)
total population: 61.43 years

male: 59.66 years

female: 63.25 years (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate4.45 children born/woman (2021 est.)5.7 children born/woman (2021 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate4.7% (2020 est.)0.7% (2020 est.)
Nationalitynoun: Tanzanian(s)

adjective: Tanzanian
noun: Congolese (singular and plural)

adjective: Congolese or Congo
Ethnic groupsmainland - African 99% (of which 95% are Bantu consisting of more than 130 tribes), other 1% (consisting of Asian, European, and Arab); Zanzibar - Arab, African, mixed Arab and Africanmore than 200 African ethnic groups of which the majority are Bantu; the four largest tribes - Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu), and the Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) - make up about 45% of the population
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS1.7 million (2020 est.)510,000 (2020 est.)
ReligionsChristian 63.1%, Muslim 34.1%, folk religion 1.1%, Buddhist <1%, Hindu <1%, Jewish <1%, other <1%, unspecified 1.6% (2020 est.)

note: Zanzibar is almost entirely Muslim
Roman Catholic 29.9%, Protestant 26.7%, other Christian 36.5%, Kimbanguist 2.8%, Muslim 1.3%, other (includes syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs) 1.2%, none 1.3%, unspecified .2% (2014 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths32,000 (2020 est.)17,000 (2020 est.)
LanguagesKiswahili or Swahili (official), Kiunguja (name for Swahili in Zanzibar), English (official, primary language of commerce, administration, and higher education), Arabic (widely spoken in Zanzibar), many local languages; note - Kiswahili (Swahili) is the mother tongue of the Bantu people living in Zanzibar and nearby coastal Tanzania; although Kiswahili is Bantu in structure and origin, its vocabulary draws on a variety of sources including Arabic and English; it has become the lingua franca of central and eastern Africa; the first language of most people is one of the local languages

major-language sample(s):
The World Factbook, Chanzo cha Lazima Kuhusu Habari ya Msingi. (Kiswahili)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba

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 Kiswahili (Swahili), English, or Arabic

total population: 77.9%

male: 83.2%

female: 73.1% (2015)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write French, Lingala, Kingwana, or Tshiluba

total population: 77%

male: 88.5%

female: 66.5% (2016)
Major infectious diseasesdegree of risk: very high (2020)

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

vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and Rift Valley fever

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, dengue fever, and trypanosomiasis-gambiense (African sleeping sickness)

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

animal contact diseases: rabies

note: on 7 February 2021, the Ministry of Health declared the 12th outbreak of Ebola in Democratic Republic of the Congo; on 12 March 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Travel Health Notice recommending travelers avoid non-essential travel for an Ebola outbreak in the North Kivu (Kivu Nord) province in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; travelers to this area could be infected with Ebola if they come into contact with an infected person's blood or other body fluids; travelers should seek medical care immediately if they develop fever, muscle pain, sore throat, diarrhea, weakness, vomiting, stomach pain, or unexplained bleeding or bruising during or after travel
Food insecuritysevere localized food insecurity: due to localized shortfalls in staple food production - number of severely food insecure people estimated at 490,000 for period May-September 2021, markedly lower than in period November 2019-April 2020 (2021)widespread lack of access: due to persistent civil insecurity and COVID-19 restrictions - 27.3 million people are estimated to be severely food insecure in the February-July 2021 period, the highest level on record; this is due to the severe impact of movement restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic which continue to limit cross-border trade and access to markets, and the ongoing conflict in eastern provinces, which triggered population displacements and locally disrupt crop production, resulting in shortages of food supplies in some markets; the eruption, on 22 May 2021, of the Nyiragongo volcano, in North Kivu Province, caused the further displacement of about 415,000 people (2021)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)total: 9 years

male: 9 years

female: 9 years (2019)
total: 11 years

male: 10 years

female: 9 years (2013)
Education expenditures3.4% of GDP (2014)1.5% of GDP (2017)
Urbanizationurban population: 36% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 4.89% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
urban population: 46.2% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 4.33% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Drinking water sourceimproved: urban: 92.3% of population

rural: 56.2% of population

total: 68.2% of population

unimproved: urban: 7.7% of population

rural: 43.8% of population

total: 31.8% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 84.3% of population

rural: 32.4% of population

total: 55.2% of population

unimproved: urban: 15.7% of population

rural: 67.6% of population

total: 44.8% of population (2017 est.)
Sanitation facility accessimproved: urban: 82.1% of population

rural: 29.5% of population

total: 46.9% of population

unimproved: urban: 17.9% of population

rural: 70.5% of population

total: 53.1% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 54.7% of population

rural: 29.8% of population

total: 40.7% of population

unimproved: urban: 44.5% of population

rural: 70.2% of population

total: 59.3% of population (2017 est.)
Major cities - population262,000 Dodoma (legislative capital) (2018), 7.047 million DAR ES SALAAM (administrative capital), 1.182 million Mwanza (2021)14.970 million KINSHASA (capital), 2.643 million Mbuji-Mayi, 2.584 million Lubumbashi, 1.524 million Kananga, 1.321 million Kisangani, 1.133 million Bukavu (2021)
Maternal mortality rate524 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)473 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight14.6% (2018)23.1% (2017/18)
Health expenditures3.6% (2018)3.3% (2018)
Physicians density0.01 physicians/1,000 population (2016)0.07 physicians/1,000 population (2016)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate8.4% (2016)6.7% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth19.8 years (2015/16 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 20-49
19.9 years (2013/14 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 20-49
Demographic profile

Tanzania has the largest population in East Africa and the lowest population density; almost a third of the population is urban. Tanzania's youthful population - about two-thirds of the population is under 25 - is growing rapidly because of the high total fertility rate of 4.8 children per woman. Progress in reducing the birth rate has stalled, sustaining the country's nearly 3% annual growth. The maternal mortality rate has improved since 2000, yet it remains very high because of early and frequent pregnancies, inadequate maternal health services, and a lack of skilled birth attendants - problems that are worse among poor and rural women. Tanzania has made strides in reducing under-5 and infant mortality rates, but a recent drop in immunization threatens to undermine gains in child health. Malaria is a leading killer of children under 5, while HIV is the main source of adult mortality

For Tanzania, most migration is internal, rural to urban movement, while some temporary labor migration from towns to plantations takes place seasonally for harvests. Tanzania was Africa's largest refugee-hosting country for decades, hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Great Lakes region, primarily Burundi, over the last fifty years. However, the assisted repatriation and naturalization of tens of thousands of Burundian refugees between 2002 and 2014 dramatically reduced the refugee population. Tanzania is increasingly a transit country for illegal migrants from the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region who are heading to southern Africa for security reasons and/or economic opportunities. Some of these migrants choose to settle in Tanzania.

Despite a wealth of fertile soil, hydroelectric power potential, and mineral resources, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) struggles with many socioeconomic problems, including high infant and maternal mortality rates, malnutrition, poor vaccination coverage, lack of access to improved water sources and sanitation, and frequent and early fertility. Ongoing conflict, mismanagement of resources, and a lack of investment have resulted in food insecurity; almost 30 percent of children under the age of 5 are malnourished. The overall coverage of basic public services - education, health, sanitation, and potable water - is very limited and piecemeal, with substantial regional and rural/urban disparities. Fertility remains high at almost 5 children per woman and is likely to remain high because of the low use of contraception and the cultural preference for larger families.

The DRC is a source and host country for refugees. Between 2012 and 2014, more than 119,000 Congolese refugees returned from the Republic of Congo to the relative stability of northwest DRC, but more than 540,000 Congolese refugees remained abroad as of year-end 2015. In addition, an estimated 3.9 million Congolese were internally displaced as of October 2017, the vast majority fleeing violence between rebel group and Congolese armed forces. Thousands of refugees have come to the DRC from neighboring countries, including Rwanda, the Central African Republic, and Burundi.

Contraceptive prevalence rate38.4% (2015/16)28.1% (2017/18)
Dependency ratiostotal dependency ratio: 85.9

youth dependency ratio: 81

elderly dependency ratio: 4.9

potential support ratio: 20.4 (2020 est.)
total dependency ratio: 95.4

youth dependency ratio: 89.5

elderly dependency ratio: 5.9

potential support ratio: 17 (2020 est.)

Source: CIA Factbook