Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Democratic Republic of the Congo instead of Afghanistan, you would:
Health
be 67.5% less likely to be obese
In Afghanistan, 20.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 6.7% of people as of 2024.
live 4.2 years less
In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2024.
see 82.5% less spent on your healthcare
Afghanistan spends $330 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Democratic Republic of the Congo spends $58 as of 2023.
have 34.4% fewer doctors per person
Afghanistan has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Democratic Republic of the Congo has 2.1 as of 2022.
be 2.4 times more likely to die by suicide
Afghanistan has a suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is 8.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 66.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Afghanistan, 13.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 4.4% as of 2025.
make 93.5% more money
Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $417 as of 2024, while in Democratic Republic of the Congo, the GDP per capita is $807 as of 2025.
be 19.3% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Afghanistan, 47.1% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, however, that number is 56.2% as of 2020.
Life
be 18.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Afghanistan, approximately 521.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 427.0 women do as of 2023.
be 83.8% more likely to be literate
In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is 68.5% as of 2023.
have 16.8% more children
In Afghanistan, there are approximately 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are 40.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 16.8% more likely to die during infancy
In Afghanistan, approximately 48.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the other hand, 56.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 22.2% more likely to have internet access
In Afghanistan, approximately 16.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 19.7% do as of 2024.
be 74.1% less likely to have access to electricity
In Afghanistan, approximately 85% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 22% of people on average (56% in urban areas, and 1% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 55.9% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Afghanistan, approximately 81% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 36% of people on average (59% in urban areas, and 14% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 75.5% less on healthcare
Afghanistan spends 15.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 3.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 32.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Afghanistan, road accidents kill 24.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, they kill 16.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 99.6% less strain on fresh water
Afghanistan withdraws 55% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Democratic Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 62.5% less home broadband
Afghanistan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Democratic Republic of the Congo has 0.0 as of 2024.
Environment
be 49.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Afghanistan, air pollution causes 143.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, it causes 72.0 as of 2019.
emit 78.6% less CO2
Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Democratic Republic of the Congo emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Afghanistan vs. Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo: At a glance
How big is Democratic Republic of the Congo compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.