Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Afghanistan instead of Democratic Republic of the Congo, you would:
Health
live 4.2 years longer
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
see 5.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends $58 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Afghanistan spends $330 as of 2023.
have 52.4% more doctors per person
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Afghanistan has 3.2 as of 2023.
be 59.0% less likely to die by suicide
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a suicide rate of 8.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Afghanistan, it is 3.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.1 times more likely to be obese
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 6.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 20.6% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 16.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 56.2% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Afghanistan, however, that number is 47.1% as of 2019.
be 3.0 times more likely to be unemployed
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 4.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Afghanistan, that number is 13.3% as of 2025.
make 48.3% less money
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a GDP per capita of $807 as of 2025, while in Afghanistan, the GDP per capita is $417 as of 2024.
Life
be 14.4% less likely to die during infancy
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 56.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Afghanistan, on the other hand, 48.3 children do as of 2024.
be 22.0% more likely to die during childbirth
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 427.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Afghanistan, 521.0 women do as of 2023.
be 45.6% less likely to be literate
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the literacy rate is 68.5% as of 2023. In Afghanistan, it is 37.3% as of 2021.
have 14.4% fewer children
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are approximately 40.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Afghanistan, there are 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 3.9 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 22% of people have electricity access (56% in urban areas, and 1% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Afghanistan, that number is 85% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 2.3 times more likely to have access to drinking water
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 36% of people have access to drinking water (59% in urban areas, and 14% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 81% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2024.
be 18.2% less likely to have internet access
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 19.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Afghanistan, about 16.1% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 4.1 times more on healthcare
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Afghanistan, that number is 15.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 47.9% more likely to die in a road accident
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, road accidents kill 16.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Afghanistan, they kill 24.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.7 times more home broadband
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Afghanistan has 0.1 as of 2023.
live with 238.1 times more strain on fresh water
Democratic Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Afghanistan withdraws 55% as of 2022.
Environment
be 98.6% more likely to die from air pollution
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, air pollution causes 72.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Afghanistan, it causes 143.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.7 times more CO2
Democratic Republic of the Congo emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Afghanistan emits 0.3 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: Democratic Republic of the Congo vs. Afghanistan
MORE COMPARISONS
Afghanistan: At a glance
How big is Afghanistan compared to Democratic Republic of the Congo? See an in-depth size comparison.