Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Democratic Republic of the Congo instead of Benin, you would:
Health
live 1.1 years longer
In Benin, the average life expectancy is 61 years (60 years for men, 62 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.
be 45.4% less likely to be obese
In Benin, 12.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 6.7% of people as of 2024.
have 10.5% more access to essential health services
Benin scores 38 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Democratic Republic of the Congo scores 42 as of 2021.
see 58.1% less spent on your healthcare
Benin spends $138 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Democratic Republic of the Congo spends $58 as of 2023.
be 23.2% more likely to die by suicide
Benin has a suicide rate of 7.1 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 2.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Benin, 1.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 4.4% as of 2025.
be 55.2% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Benin, 36.2% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, however, that number is 56.2% as of 2020.
make 51.3% less money
Benin has a GDP per capita of $1,658 as of 2025, while in Democratic Republic of the Congo, the GDP per capita is $807 as of 2025.
Life
be 17.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Benin, approximately 518.0 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 33.3% more likely to be literate
In Benin, the literacy rate is 51.4% as of 2022. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is 68.5% as of 2023.
have 22.3% more children
In Benin, there are approximately 33.4 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 24.8% more likely to die during infancy
In Benin, approximately 45.2 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 61.2% less likely to have access to electricity
In Benin, approximately 57% of people have electricity access (70% in urban areas, and 44% 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 42.1% less likely to have internet access
In Benin, approximately 34.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 19.7% do as of 2024.
be 48.7% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Benin, approximately 70% of people have access to drinking water (76% in urban areas, and 63% 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 12.1% less on education
Benin spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 10.2% more on healthcare
Benin spends 3.3% 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.
Geography
see 69.4% less coastline
Benin has a total of 121 km of coastline. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 37 km.
Safety
be 34.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Benin, road accidents kill 24.8 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 76.5% less strain on fresh water
Benin withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Democratic Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% as of 2022.
use 12.1% more electricity
Benin uses 115 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Democratic Republic of the Congo uses 129 kWh as of 2023.
find 89.3% less home broadband
Benin has 0.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Democratic Republic of the Congo has 0.0 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 87.8% less CO2
Benin emits 0.5 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 (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Benin vs. Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo: At a glance
How big is Democratic Republic of the Congo compared to Benin? See an in-depth size comparison.