Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Democratic Republic of the Congo instead of Burundi, you would:

Health

have 2.7 times more doctors per person

Burundi has 0.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Democratic Republic of the Congo has 2.1 as of 2022.

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live 1.8 years less

In Burundi, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 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.

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be 29.2% more likely to be obese

In Burundi, 5.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 6.7% of people as of 2024.

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see 42.3% less spent on your healthcare

Burundi spends $100 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Democratic Republic of the Congo spends $58 as of 2023.

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be 14.6% more likely to die by suicide

Burundi has a suicide rate of 7.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is 8.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 3.5 times more money

Burundi has a GDP per capita of $234 as of 2025, while in Democratic Republic of the Congo, the GDP per capita is $807 as of 2025.

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be 4.8 times more likely to be unemployed

In Burundi, 0.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 4.4% as of 2025.

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be 10.2% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Burundi, 51.0% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, however, that number is 56.2% as of 2020.

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Life

have 23.1% more children

In Burundi, there are approximately 33.2 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.

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be 84.9% more likely to die during infancy

In Burundi, approximately 30.5 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.

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Basic Needs

be 90.5% more likely to have access to electricity

In Burundi, approximately 12% of people have electricity access (65% in urban areas, and 2% 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.

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be 2.3 times more likely to have internet access

In Burundi, approximately 8.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 19.7% do as of 2024.

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be 45.9% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Burundi, approximately 66% of people have access to drinking water (91% in urban areas, and 61% 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.

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Expenditures

spend 36.9% less on education

Burundi spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2025. Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 59.5% less on healthcare

Burundi spends 9.1% 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.

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Safety

be 32.5% more likely to die in a road accident

In Burundi, road accidents kill 12.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, they kill 16.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 50.0% more home broadband

Burundi has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Democratic Republic of the Congo has 0.0 as of 2024.

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live with 97.7% less strain on fresh water

Burundi withdraws 10% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Democratic Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 14.3% less CO2

Burundi emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Democratic Republic of the Congo emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this

Compare further: Burundi vs. Democratic Republic of the Congo

Size Comparison · See true size
Burundi is about 84 times smaller than Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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Moving from Burundi to Democratic Republic of the Congo · UN DESA 2020
59,145 people born in Burundi live in Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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Democratic Republic of the Congo: At a glance

Democratic Republic of the Congo is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 2,267,048 sq km. Established as a Belgian colony in 1908, the then-Republic of the Congo gained its independence in 1960, but its early years were marred by political and social instability. Col. Joseph MOBUTU seized power and declared himself president in a November 1965 coup. He subsequently changed his name - to MOBUTU Sese Seko - as well as that of the country - to Zaire. MOBUTU retained his position for 32 years through several sham elections, as well as through brutal force. Ethnic strife and civil war, touched off by a massive inflow of refugees in 1994 from fighting in Rwanda and Burundi, led in May 1997 to the toppling of the MOBUTU regime by a rebellion backed by Rwanda and Uganda and fronted by Laurent KABILA. He renamed the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), but in August 1998 his regime was itself challenged by a second insurrection again backed by Rwanda and Uganda. Troops from Angola, Chad, Namibia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe intervened to support KABILA's regime. In January 2001, KABILA was assassinated and his son, Joseph KABILA, was named head of state. In October 2002, the new president was successful in negotiating the withdrawal of Rwandan forces occupying the eastern DRC; two months later, the Pretoria Accord was signed by all remaining warring parties to end the fighting and establish a government of national unity. A transitional government was set up in July 2003; it held a successful constitutional referendum in December 2005 and elections for the presidency, National Assembly, and provincial legislatures took place in 2006. In 2009, following a resurgence of conflict in the eastern DRC, the government signed a peace agreement with the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP), a primarily Tutsi rebel group. An attempt to integrate CNDP members into the Congolese military failed, prompting their defection in 2012 and the formation of the M23 armed group - named after the 23 March 2009 peace agreements. Renewed conflict has lead to the displacement of large numbers of people and significant human rights abuses. As of February 2013, peace talks between the Congolese government and the M23 were on-going. In addition, the DRC continues to experience violence committed by other armed groups including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda and Mai Mai groups. In the most recent national elections, held in November 2011, disputed results allowed Joseph KABILA to be reelected to the presidency.
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How big is Democratic Republic of the Congo compared to Burundi? See an in-depth size comparison.

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