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

Ethnic groups:
over 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

Languages:
French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba

Religions:
Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other (includes syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs) 10%

Population:
73,599,190 (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
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
[see also: Population country ranks ]

Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.4% (male 16,031,347/female 15,811,818)
[see also: Age structure 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-64 years: 53% (male 18,919,942/female 19,116,204)
[see also: Age structure 15-64 years country ranks ]
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 767,119/female 1,066,437) (2011 est.)
[see also: Age structure 65 years and over country ranks ]

Median age:
total: 17.4 years
[see also: Median age - total country ranks ]
male: 17.2 years
[see also: Median age - male country ranks ]
female: 17.6 years (2011 est.)
[see also: Median age - female country ranks ]

Population growth rate:
2.579% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]

Birth rate:
37.05 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]

Death rate:
10.8 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 42
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]

Net migration rate:
-0.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]

Urbanization:
urban population: 35% of total population (2010)
[see also: Urbanization - urban population country ranks ]
rate of urbanization: 4.5% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
[see also: Urbanization - rate of urbanization country ranks ]

Major cities - population:
KINSHASA (capital) 8.401 million; Lubumbashi 1.543 million; Mbuji-Mayi 1.488 million; Kananga 878,000; Kisangani 812,000 (2009)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - at birth country ranks ]
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - under 15 years country ranks ]
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - 65 years and over country ranks ]
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2012 est.)
[see also: Sex ratio - total population country ranks ]

Maternal mortality rate:
670 deaths/100,000 live births (2008)
country comparison to the world: 16
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]

Infant mortality rate:
total: 76.63 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 13
male: 80.36 deaths/1,000 live births
[see also: Infant mortality rate - male country ranks ]
female: 72.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
[see also: Infant mortality rate - female country ranks ]

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 55.74 years
country comparison to the world: 198
male: 54.28 years
[see also: Life expectancy at birth - male country ranks ]
female: 57.23 years (2012 est.)
[see also: Life expectancy at birth - female country ranks ]

Total fertility rate:
5.09 children born/woman (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]

Health expenditures:
11.2% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 19
[see also: Health expenditures country ranks ]

Physicians density:
0.11 physicians/1,000 population (2004)
country comparison to the world: 163
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]

Hospital bed density:
0.8 beds/1,000 population (2006)
country comparison to the world: 158
[see also: Hospital bed density country ranks ]

Drinking water source:
improved: