Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling was 5.98 live births per woman in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
5.98 live births per woman
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
3rd
of 236 countries
All-time high
6.7 live births per woman
in 2000
All-time low
5.97 live births per woman
in 1950
Years of data
75
1950–2024
Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1950–2024
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in live births per woman.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in Democratic Republic of Congo is 5.98 live births per woman, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 1.2% on the previous year and down 7.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 6.7 live births per woman in 2000 and was at its lowest, 5.97 live births per woman, in 1950.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 3rd of 236 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 75 years of available data.
Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | live births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 5.97 live births per woman | — |
| 1951 | 5.97 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1952 | 5.97 live births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1953 | 5.98 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1954 | 5.98 live births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 5.98 live births per woman | -0.0% |
| 1956 | 5.99 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1957 | 6.01 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1958 | 6.04 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1959 | 6.07 live births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1960 | 6.11 live births per woman | +0.7% |
| 1961 | 6.12 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1962 | 6.14 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 6.16 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1964 | 6.19 live births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1965 | 6.21 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1966 | 6.24 live births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1967 | 6.27 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1968 | 6.29 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 6.3 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1970 | 6.33 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1971 | 6.34 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 6.37 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1973 | 6.38 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1974 | 6.4 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 6.42 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1976 | 6.44 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 6.45 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 6.46 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 6.48 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 6.5 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 6.52 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 6.54 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 6.56 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 6.59 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 6.61 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 6.63 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 6.65 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 6.66 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 6.65 live births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 6.65 live births per woman | -0.0% |
| 1991 | 6.64 live births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 6.64 live births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 6.64 live births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 6.64 live births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 6.68 live births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 6.67 live births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 6.69 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 6.7 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 6.69 live births per woman | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 6.7 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 6.66 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 6.61 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 6.55 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 6.53 live births per woman | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 6.53 live births per woman | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 6.55 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 6.56 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 6.58 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 6.59 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 6.59 live births per woman | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 6.58 live births per woman | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 6.56 live births per woman | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 6.53 live births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 6.48 live births per woman | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 6.44 live births per woman | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 6.39 live births per woman | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 6.35 live births per woman | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 6.3 live births per woman | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 6.25 live births per woman | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 6.21 live births per woman | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 6.16 live births per woman | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 6.11 live births per woman | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 6.05 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 5.98 live births per woman | -1.2% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 5.98 live births per woman is above the median for low income countries, which is 4.11 live births per woman, 1.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 5.98 live births per woman is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.91 live births per woman, 1.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5.99 live births per woman | 5.97 live births per woman | 6.07 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1960s | 6.2 live births per woman | 6.11 live births per woman | 6.3 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.41 live births per woman | 6.33 live births per woman | 6.48 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.59 live births per woman | 6.5 live births per woman | 6.66 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.66 live births per woman | 6.64 live births per woman | 6.7 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.59 live births per woman | 6.53 live births per woman | 6.7 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.45 live births per woman | 6.25 live births per woman | 6.59 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.1 live births per woman | 5.98 live births per woman | 6.21 live births per woman | 5 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More education data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 621,578 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 1.99 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 410,532 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 427,300 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.93 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 21.15 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 7.35 % change on previous year (2021)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1999 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in Democratic Republic of Congo was 5.98 live births per woman in 2024, according to Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility rate vs. average years of schooling recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 6.7 live births per woman in 2000.
- What is the lowest fertility rate vs. average years of schooling recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.97 live births per woman in 1950.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for fertility rate vs. average years of schooling?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 3rd out of 236 countries with data for 2024.
- Is fertility rate vs. average years of schooling rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Average number of live births a hypothetical cohort of women would have at the end of their reproductive period if they were subject during their whole lives to the fertility rates of a given period and if they were not subject to mortality.