Democratic Republic of the Congo: health and care

How many Ebola cases are there in the DR Congo?

The DR Congo had recorded 8,728 confirmed cases of Bundibugyo virus disease, a form of Ebola, including 4,205 deaths, as of 6 October 2026, according to the World Health Organization. The crude case fatality ratio was 48.2%.

Cases have been reported in 64 health zones across seven of the country's 26 provinces, all in the north and east, with Ituri the most affected. The outbreak was first detected in May 2026 and has been declared a public health emergency of international concern. WHO notes that no approved vaccines or specific treatments exist for this virus. The Institut National de Santé Publique publishes situation reports.

Official sources: WHO: Disease Outbreak News, 8 October 2026 · Institut National de Santé Publique

What is the life expectancy in the DR Congo?

Life expectancy at birth in the DR Congo was 62.1 years in 2024, according to the World Bank World Development Indicators, up from 60.0 years in 2021.

The figure is a UN population estimate, as the DR Congo does not have complete death registration. It assumes that the death rates of a single year apply throughout a person's life. High death rates among young children pull the average down: the infant mortality rate was 56.4 per 1,000 live births in 2024, according to the World Bank.

Official sources: World Bank: life expectancy at birth, DR Congo · World Bank: infant mortality rate, DR Congo

What is the maternal mortality rate in the DR Congo?

The DR Congo's maternal mortality ratio was 427 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023, down from 507 in 2021, according to the World Bank modelled estimate, which uses UN inter-agency data.

The ratio counts deaths of women from pregnancy or childbirth. It is modelled because many births and deaths are not registered, so year-to-year changes are uncertain. Women in the DR Congo have about six children on average: the fertility rate was 5.98 births per woman in 2024, according to the World Bank, which increases the lifetime risk.

Official sources: World Bank: maternal mortality ratio, DR Congo · World Bank: fertility rate, DR Congo

How many children in the DR Congo are stunted?

44.7% of children under five in the DR Congo were stunted, or too short for their age, in 2023, according to the World Bank World Development Indicators. The share was 41.8% in 2017.

Stunting reflects long-term undernutrition and repeated illness in early childhood and is linked to poorer health and learning later. The figures come from national household surveys that measure children directly, so they are available only for survey years. Measles vaccination reached 55% of children aged 12 to 23 months in 2024, according to the World Bank.

Official sources: World Bank: prevalence of stunting, DR Congo · World Bank: measles immunisation, DR Congo

How common is malaria in the DR Congo?

There were 321.89 malaria cases per 1,000 people at risk in the DR Congo in 2024, according to the World Bank World Development Indicators, which use World Health Organization estimates. The rate was 338.04 in 2021.

The figure means roughly one case for every three people at risk each year. It is an estimate that adjusts reported cases for people who are not tested or treated in health facilities. WHO notes in its Ebola outbreak reports that malaria is hard to tell apart from Ebola without laboratory tests.

Official sources: World Bank: incidence of malaria, DR Congo · WHO: Disease Outbreak News, 8 October 2026

How much does the DR Congo spend on health?

Current health spending in the DR Congo was 3.68% of GDP in 2023, according to the World Bank World Development Indicators. Households paid 38.0% of it out of their own pockets, according to the World Bank.

The figures cover spending by government, households and donors. There were 0.208 doctors per 1,000 people in 2022, about one for every 4,800 people, according to the World Bank. The Ministry of Public Health is working towards universal health coverage, including consultations on compulsory health insurance.

Official sources: World Bank: current health expenditure, DR Congo · World Bank: out-of-pocket health spending, DR Congo · World Bank: physicians per 1,000 people, DR Congo · Ministère de la Santé Publique

What is the average life expectancy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?

In 2024, life expectancy at birth in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was 62.1 years, according to the UN Population Division. It is the top of the series, which starts in 2005. Across Sub-Saharan Africa the middle value was 64.3 years, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo placed 36th highest of 48. World rank, highest first: 181st of 193.

What is the infant mortality rate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?

56.4 per 1,000: that is the infant mortality rate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for 2024, according to the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation. The peak was 72.0 per 1,000 in 2005 and the low 55.1 per 1,000 in 2015. It is 9th highest of 48 in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the median is 37.2 per 1,000. Worldwide: 9th of 192.

What is the maternal mortality rate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?

In 2023, the maternal mortality ratio in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was 427 per 100,000, according to the WHO. No year since 2005 has been lower. It is 12th highest of 48 in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the median is 257 per 100,000. Of 192 countries with 2023 data, 13th highest.

How much does the Democratic Republic of the Congo spend on health?

According to the WHO, current health spending in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was 3.7% of GDP in 2023. Since 2005 it has ranged from 3.2% of GDP (2011) to 4.5% of GDP (2009). Across Sub-Saharan Africa the middle value was 4.4% of GDP, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo placed 34th highest of 48. Of 191 countries with 2023 data, 161st highest.

How much do people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo pay for health care themselves?

In 2023, out-of-pocket health spending in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was 38.0%, according to the WHO. Its high point since 2005 was 2005, at 69.4%; its low point was 2010, at 37.1%. Sub-Saharan Africa median: 32.4%; the Democratic Republic of the Congo is 22nd highest of 48. Worldwide: 58th of 191.

How many doctors does the Democratic Republic of the Congo have?

The WHO puts the number of doctors per 1,000 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 0.21 per 1,000 in 2022. In 2013 the figure was 0.09 per 1,000. Across Sub-Saharan Africa the middle value was 0.18 per 1,000, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo placed 19th highest of 46. Worldwide: 97th of 125.

What is measles vaccine coverage in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?

55.0%: that is measles vaccination among children aged 12 to 23 months in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for 2024, according to WHO and UNICEF. Its high point since 2005 was 2012, at 69.0%; its low point was 2023, at 52.0%. Across Sub-Saharan Africa the middle value was 81.0%, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo placed 42nd highest of 48. Of 191 countries with 2024 data, 181st highest.