Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Democratic Republic of the Congo instead of Burma, you would:
Health
be 17.7% less likely to be obese
In Burma, 8.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 6.7% of people as of 2024.
live 5.0 years less
In Burma, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 70 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 79.6% less spent on your healthcare
Burma spends $283 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Democratic Republic of the Congo spends $58 as of 2023.
have 72.5% fewer doctors per person
Burma has 7.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. Democratic Republic of the Congo has 2.1 as of 2022.
have 19.2% less access to essential health services
Burma scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Democratic Republic of the Congo scores 42 as of 2021.
be 3.0 times more likely to die by suicide
Burma has a suicide rate of 2.9 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 45.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Burma, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 4.4% as of 2025.
be 2.3 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Burma, 24.8% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, however, that number is 56.2% as of 2020.
make 45.8% less money
Burma has a GDP per capita of $1,489 as of 2025, while in Democratic Republic of the Congo, the GDP per capita is $807 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.5 times more children
In Burma, there are approximately 16.5 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 2.3 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Burma, approximately 185.0 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 26.8% less likely to be literate
In Burma, the literacy rate is 93.5% as of 2020. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is 68.5% as of 2023.
be 72.0% more likely to die during infancy
In Burma, approximately 32.8 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 71.2% less likely to have access to electricity
In Burma, approximately 77% of people have electricity access (95% in urban areas, and 69% 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 55.3% less likely to have internet access
In Burma, approximately 44.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 19.7% do as of 2024.
be 58.4% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Burma, approximately 86% of people have access to drinking water (96% in urban areas, and 81% 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 17.5% less on healthcare
Burma spends 4.5% 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.
spend 42.0% more on education
Burma spends 2.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
Geography
see 98.1% less coastline
Burma has a total of 1,930 km of coastline. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 37 km.
Safety
be 15.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Burma, road accidents kill 19.3 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 96.0% less strain on fresh water
Burma withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Democratic Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 99.0% less home broadband
Burma has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Democratic Republic of the Congo has 0.0 as of 2024.
use 65.1% less electricity
Burma uses 368 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Democratic Republic of the Congo uses 129 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 89.7% less CO2
Burma emits 0.6 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 (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Burma vs. Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo: At a glance
How big is Democratic Republic of the Congo compared to Burma? See an in-depth size comparison.