Enrolment in primary education, male (number) in Democratic Republic of Congo

Democratic Republic of Congo: Enrolment in primary education, male (number) was 10.87 million in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
10.87 million
Change on year
up 4.6%
World rank
7th
of 216 countries
All-time high
10.87 million
in 2023
All-time low
1.95 million
in 1971
Years of data
40
1971–2023

Enrolment in primary education, male in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1971–2023

2.0M4.0M6.0M8.0M10.0M1971199720231971: 2.0M1972: 2.0M1973: 2.0M1974: 2.0M1975: 2.1M1976: 2.1M1977: 2.2M1978: 2.3M1979: 2.3M1980: 2.4M1981: 2.5M1982: 2.5M1983: 2.6M1984: 2.7M1985: 2.7M1986: 2.8M1987: 2.3M1988: 2.5M1990: 2.0M1991: 2.6M1992: 2.6M1993: 2.7M1994: 2.8M1995: 3.2M1998: 2.8M1999: 2.1M2002: 3.1M2007: 4.9M2008: 5.4M2009: 5.5M2010: 5.7M2011: 6.0M2012: 6.4M2013: 6.7M2014: 7.1M2015: 7.0M2018: 8.7M2020: 9.7M2021: 10.4M2023: 10.9M

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2023, enrolment in primary education, male in Democratic Republic of Congo stood at 10.87 million. That is the highest value across all 40 years on record.

That represents a change of up 4.6% on the previous year and up 63.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in primary education, male in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 10.87 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.95 million, in 1971.

That places Democratic Republic of Congo 7th out of 216 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Enrolment in primary education, male (number) in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in primary education, male (number) in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1971 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1971 1.95 million —
1972 1.98 million +1.3%
1973 2.03 million +2.7%
1974 2.04 million +0.5%
1975 2.08 million +2.0%
1976 2.14 million +2.8%
1977 2.18 million +1.8%
1978 2.26 million +3.7%
1979 2.32 million +2.8%
1980 2.38 million +2.8%
1981 2.45 million +2.7%
1982 2.52 million +3.0%
1983 2.59 million +2.7%
1984 2.66 million +2.7%
1985 2.75 million +3.1%
1986 2.82 million +2.8%
1987 2.33 million -17.4%
1988 2.51 million +7.6%
1990 2.01 million -19.8%
1991 2.62 million +30.0%
1992 2.64 million +0.7%
1993 2.75 million +4.3%
1994 2.84 million +3.2%
1995 3.22 million +13.5%
1998 2.78 million -13.7%
1999 2.12 million -23.8%
2002 3.06 million +44.7%
2007 4.88 million +59.4%
2008 5.44 million +11.4%
2009 5.54 million +1.8%
2010 5.68 million +2.6%
2011 5.96 million +4.9%
2012 6.41 million +7.7%
2013 6.65 million +3.7%
2014 7.14 million +7.3%
2015 6.96 million -2.5%
2018 8.74 million +25.6%
2020 9.72 million +11.3%
2021 10.40 million +6.9%
2023 10.87 million +4.6%

Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries

  • Democratic Republic of Congo's 10.87 million is above the median for low income countries, which is 1.56 million, 7.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
  • Democratic Republic of Congo's 10.87 million is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.25 million, 8.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Enrolment in primary education, male (number) in Democratic Republic of Congo changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2007 +59.4% 3.06 million 4.88 million
2002 +44.7% 2.12 million 3.06 million
1991 +30.0% 2.01 million 2.62 million
2018 +25.6% 6.96 million 8.74 million

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 2.11 million 1.95 million 2.32 million 9
1980s 2.56 million 2.33 million 2.82 million 9
1990s 2.62 million 2.01 million 3.22 million 8
2000s 4.73 million 3.06 million 5.54 million 4
2010s 6.79 million 5.68 million 8.74 million 7
2020s 10.33 million 9.72 million 10.87 million 3

Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo

  1. 4 Indonesia 14.90 million compare
  2. 5 Pakistan 13.15 million compare
  3. 6 United States 12.27 million compare
  4. 8 Ethiopia 8.38 million compare
  5. 9 Bangladesh 8.12 million compare
  6. 10 Egypt 7.88 million compare

See the full ranking of 437 places →

More education data for Democratic Republic of Congo

All data for Democratic Republic of Congo →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in primary education, male in Democratic Republic of Congo?
Enrolment in primary education, male in Democratic Republic of Congo was 10.87 million in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in primary education, male recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
The highest recorded value was 10.87 million in 2023.
What is the lowest enrolment in primary education, male recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
The lowest recorded value was 1.95 million in 1971.
How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for enrolment in primary education, male?
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 7th out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
Is enrolment in primary education, male rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
Over the last ten years it is up 63.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in primary education, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in primary education, male in Democratic Republic of Congo. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 14 October 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-primary-education-male-number-2/congo-dem-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in primary education, male (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
437 places, 20,289 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release