Bas-Uele: population, health, schools, water, jobs and provincial transfers
Bas-Uele is a province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, number 26 of 26 by population. The Institut National de la Statistique projected the population of Bas-Uele at 1,250,000 for 2019 (614,000 men and boys, 636,000 women and girls), 1.3% of the DR Congo's 98.37 million; the smallest of the 26 provinces. The country has not held a census since 1984, so every provincial figure is a projection.
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Bas-Uele: 25.5% of people in Bas-Uele used at least a basic drinking water service (an improved source within a 30-minute round trip) in 2017-18, 10th highest of the 26 provinces (DR Congo: 33.6%).
- Health in Bas-Uele: 4.2% of children aged 12 to 23 months in Bas-Uele had received all basic vaccines (BCG, three doses each of DTC-HepB-Hib and polio, and measles) in the 2023-24 Demographic and Health Survey, and 38.0% had received none; the full-vaccination rate is 4th lowest of the 26 provinces (DR Congo: 20.9% fully vaccinated, 22.7% none).
- Education in Bas-Uele: 89.0% of primary-school-age children in Bas-Uele were attending school in the 2017-18 MICS-Palu survey and 11.0% were out of school; attendance was 90.4% for boys and 87.8% for girls, 2nd highest of the 26 provinces overall (DR Congo: 78.2%).
- Poverty and living standards in Bas-Uele: 30.2% of people in Bas-Uele lived in households in the poorest fifth of the country by household assets and housing in 2017-18, and 0.6% in the richest fifth; the share in the poorest fifth was 10th highest of the 26 provinces (20% would be the national average).
- Government budget and revenue in Bas-Uele: The draft 2026 finance law allocates FC 167.9 billion to Bas-Uele from the 40% of national revenue shared with the provinces, 2.10% of the FC 8.00 trillion total; joint 3rd smallest of the 26 provinces.
How fast is Bas-Uele's population growing?
The INS projections add 112,000 people between 2015 and 2019, about 2.4% a year (DR Congo: 3.4% a year).
Source: Institut National de la Statistique (Ministry of Planning) · saved copyHow big is Bas-Uele?
Bas-Uele covers 148,331 km² with its provincial capital at Buta, giving about 8 people per km² in 2019; the least densely populated of the 26 provinces.
Source: Institut National de la Statistique (Ministry of Planning) · saved copyHow provinces are governed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Provinces (26, including the city-province of Kinshasa). Provincial assembly directly elected (last in December 2023), with some seats for co-opted customary chiefs; the assembly elects the governor. Provincial laws and services, sharing many powers with the national government.
Every tier of government in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Other provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Kinshasa 13,916,000
- Nord-Kivu 7,574,000
- Sud-Kivu 6,565,000
- Kongo Central 6,365,000
- Kwilu 6,169,000
- Haut-Katanga 5,378,000
- Ituri 4,008,000
- Kasaï-Central 3,743,000
- Kasaï-Oriental 3,601,000
- Tanganyika 3,570,000
- Haut-Lomami 3,444,000
- Kasaï 3,165,000
- Lualaba 2,993,000
- Lomami 2,801,000
- Sud-Ubangi 2,755,000
- Maniema 2,654,000
- Tshopo 2,582,000
- Sankuru 2,417,000
- Kwango 2,416,000
- Mai-Ndombe 2,082,000
- Haut-Uele 2,046,000
- Mongala 1,950,000
- Tshuapa 1,789,000
- Équateur 1,712,000
- Nord-Ubangi 1,425,000
Up a level: the Democratic Republic of the Congo · government and power in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Sources
- Institut National de la Statistique and École de Santé Publique de Kinshasa (with ICF): Enquête Démographique et de Santé 2023-24 (EDS-RDC III), Rapport des indicateurs clés: Tableaux 4, 6, 9, 10, 12, 14, 18, 22 and 23 by province, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a9c8355303a4…)
- Institut National de la Statistique / Ministère de l'Enseignement Primaire, Secondaire et Technique: Annuaire statistique RDC 2020 (9th edition), Tableaux 104, 107 and 109: primary enrolment, teachers and completion by province, 2017-18 (Ministry of Primary, Secondary and Technical Education), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0b8e8667e2d9…)
- Institut National de la Statistique (with UNICEF): Enquête par grappes à indicateurs multiples MICS-Palu 2017-2018, rapport de résultats: Tableaux SR.2.3, SR.9.2, WS.1.2, WS.3.2.1, LN.2.3.1, PR.1.1 and PR.3.3 by province, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 8ff6141f9aeb…)
- Ministère du Budget: Projet de loi de finances pour l'exercice 2026 (Doc. n°1, September 2025): Annexe XI (40% share of national revenue to provinces), Annexe XII (equalisation fund) and Annexe XIX (local development programme by territory), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 02250658e4dd…)
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