DR Congo life expectancy by year, 1990 to 2024

DR Congo: 62.1 years in 2024. Life expectancy peaked at 62.1 years in 2024 in this 1990–2024 series.

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What the data shows

DR Congo: 48.5 years in 1990, 62.1 years in 2024.
Côte d'Ivoire: 52.8 years in 1990, 62.1 years in 2024. Its low point was 51.2 years in 1998.
Sierra Leone: 43.7 years in 1990, 62.0 years in 2024. Its low point was 42.0 years in 1999.
Liberia: 37.6 years in 1990, 62.3 years in 2024 (1.7× higher).

About this chart

The sharpest annual fall in DR Congo's displayed life expectancy series came in 1996: 1.0 years. DR Congo recorded 62.1 years in 2024, compared with 48.5 years in 1990. The displayed annual series runs from 1990 through 2024; its lowest value was 48.5 years in 1990. The preceding annual observation, for 2023, was 61.9 years.

Life expectancy at birth, both sexes: the years a newborn would live if the mortality rates for that year persisted. This is a period estimate, not a forecast for an individual. In 2024, the comparison lines show Côte d'Ivoire (62.1 years), Sierra Leone (62.0 years) and Liberia (62.3 years). These peers have the closest latest values among reporting countries with over one million people and a continuous common history; they are not selected by geography.

The data

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (SP.DYN.LE00.IN), years. Retrieved November 5, 2026. Life expectancy at birth, both sexes: the years a newborn would live if the mortality rates for that year persisted. This is a period estimate, not a forecast for an individual. Peers are selected by proximity to the country's latest value among countries with over one million people and a continuous common series.

DR Congo: life expectancy, years, 1990 to 2024; three nearest peers, 1990–2024
Date	🇨🇩 DR Congo	🇨🇮 Côte d'Ivoire	🇸🇱 Sierra Leone	🇱🇷 Liberia
1990	48.5 years	52.8 years	43.7 years	37.6 years
1991	48.9 years	52.6 years	43.3 years	43.6 years
1992	49.3 years	52.4 years	43.5 years	43.6 years
1993	49.6 years	52.2 years	43.4 years	43.0 years
1994	49.9 years	52.0 years	42.8 years	42.6 years
1995	50.4 years	51.7 years	42.6 years	44.6 years
1996	49.4 years	51.6 years	43.5 years	44.9 years
1997	50.5 years	51.5 years	43.6 years	48.3 years
1998	49.7 years	51.2 years	42.7 years	49.4 years
1999	50.1 years	51.3 years	42.0 years	50.4 years
2000	51.9 years	51.4 years	44.8 years	51.9 years
2001	52.2 years	51.4 years	45.4 years	53.1 years
2002	52.4 years	51.5 years	46.2 years	54.1 years
2003	53.0 years	51.4 years	46.8 years	53.0 years
2004	53.5 years	51.9 years	47.5 years	55.9 years
2005	54.0 years	52.4 years	48.3 years	56.8 years
2006	54.5 years	52.9 years	49.5 years	57.5 years
2007	55.0 years	53.5 years	50.0 years	58.1 years
2008	55.4 years	54.2 years	50.7 years	58.7 years
2009	55.8 years	54.7 years	51.3 years	59.1 years
2010	56.4 years	55.3 years	51.9 years	59.4 years
2011	56.9 years	56.0 years	52.6 years	59.5 years
2012	57.4 years	56.6 years	53.2 years	59.8 years
2013	57.8 years	57.1 years	54.1 years	60.0 years
2014	58.2 years	57.8 years	54.3 years	59.2 years
2015	58.7 years	58.3 years	55.5 years	59.2 years
2016	59.1 years	58.8 years	56.9 years	60.5 years
2017	59.5 years	59.3 years	57.8 years	60.8 years
2018	59.9 years	59.8 years	59.1 years	61.0 years
2019	60.2 years	60.3 years	59.6 years	61.2 years
2020	60.4 years	60.1 years	59.7 years	61.3 years
2021	60.0 years	60.3 years	60.3 years	61.2 years
2022	61.0 years	61.6 years	61.3 years	61.9 years
2023	61.9 years	61.9 years	61.8 years	62.2 years
2024	62.1 years	62.1 years	62.0 years	62.3 years

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Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in DR Congo?

Life expectancy at birth in DR Congo was 62.1 years in 2024, according to the World Bank series for both sexes. This is a period estimate using that year's mortality rates.

When was DR Congo's life expectancy highest in this series?

The highest displayed value was 62.1 years in 2024. This comparison covers 1990 through 2024; it is not a claim about years outside the available series.

Why are these countries compared with DR Congo?

The comparison selects three countries with the closest 2024 values, among countries with over one million people and at least fifteen consecutive annual observations in common. The matching is based on the indicator level, not economic structure or geographic proximity.

Where does this data come from?

World Bank, World Development Indicators (SP.DYN.LE00.IN), years. Retrieved November 5, 2026. Life expectancy at birth, both sexes: the years a newborn would live if the mortality rates for that year persisted. This is a period estimate, not a forecast for an individual. Peers are selected by proximity to the country's latest value among countries with over one million people and a continuous common series. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.

Can I turn this chart into a video?

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