Literacy rate vs. GDP per capita in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Literacy rate vs. GDP per capita was 68.5% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Literacy rate vs. GDP per capita in Democratic Republic of Congo, 2001–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, literacy rate vs. gdp per capita in Democratic Republic of Congo stood at 68.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.3% on the previous year and down 8.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate vs. gdp per capita in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 77.0% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 65.7%, in 2020.
That places Democratic Republic of Congo 75th out of 89 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate vs. GDP per capita in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 67.2% | — |
| 2012 | 75.0% | +11.7% |
| 2016 | 77.0% | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 73.5% | -4.5% |
| 2020 | 65.7% | -10.7% |
| 2023 | 68.5% | +4.3% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 68.5% is above the median for low income countries, which is 60.5%, 1.1× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 68.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.9%, 97% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 67.2% | 67.2% | 67.2% | 1 |
| 2010s | 75.2% | 73.5% | 77.0% | 3 |
| 2020s | 67.1% | 65.7% | 68.5% | 2 |
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 literacy rate vs. gdp per capita in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Literacy rate vs. gdp per capita in Democratic Republic of Congo was 68.5% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rate vs. gdp per capita recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 77.0% in 2016.
- What is the lowest literacy rate vs. gdp per capita recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 65.7% in 2020.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for literacy rate vs. gdp per capita?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 75th out of 89 countries with data for 2023.
- Is literacy rate vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy rate vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population aged 15 years and older who can read and write.