Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Benin instead of Democratic Republic of the Congo, you would:
Health
see 2.4 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). Benin spends $138 as of 2023.
be 18.8% 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 Benin, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 1.1 years less
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 Benin, that number is 61 years (60 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024.
be 83.1% more likely to be obese
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 6.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Benin, that number is 12.2% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 64.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 4.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Benin, that number is 1.6% as of 2025.
be 35.6% 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 Benin, however, that number is 36.2% as of 2021.
make 2.1 times more money
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a GDP per capita of $807 as of 2025, while in Benin, the GDP per capita is $1,658 as of 2025.
Life
be 19.9% 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 Benin, on the other hand, 45.2 children do as of 2024.
be 21.3% 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 Benin, 518.0 women do as of 2023.
be 25.0% less likely to be literate
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the literacy rate is 68.5% as of 2023. In Benin, it is 51.4% as of 2022.
have 18.2% fewer children
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are approximately 40.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Benin, there are 33.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 2.6 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 Benin, that number is 57% of people on average (70% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 72.8% more likely to have internet access
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 19.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Benin, about 34.0% do as of 2024.
be 95.0% 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 Benin, that number is 70% of people on average (76% in urban areas, and 63% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 13.7% more on education
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Benin spends 3.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Geography
see 3.3 times more coastline
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a total of 37 km of coastline. In Benin, that number is 121 km.
Safety
be 52.1% 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 Benin, they kill 24.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 9.3 times more home broadband
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Benin has 0.3 as of 2024.
live with 4.3 times more strain on fresh water
Democratic Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Benin withdraws 1% as of 2022.
use 10.8% less electricity
Democratic Republic of the Congo uses 129 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Benin uses 115 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 8.2 times more CO2
Democratic Republic of the Congo emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Benin emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Democratic Republic of the Congo vs. Benin
MORE COMPARISONS
Benin: At a glance
How big is Benin compared to Democratic Republic of the Congo? See an in-depth size comparison.