Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Niger instead of Democratic Republic of the Congo, you would:
Health
see 32.4% more spent on your healthcare
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends $58 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Niger spends $76 as of 2023.
be 48.9% 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 Niger, it is 4.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 0.6 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 Niger, that number is 61 years (60 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024.
have 81.7% fewer doctors per person
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Niger has 0.4 as of 2023.
have 16.7% less access to essential health services
Democratic Republic of the Congo scores 42 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Niger scores 35 as of 2021.
Economy
be 91.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 4.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Niger, that number is 0.4% as of 2025.
be 26.7% 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 Niger, however, that number is 41.2% as of 2021.
Life
be 18.0% less 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 Niger, 350.0 women do as of 2023.
be 48.0% less likely to be literate
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the literacy rate is 68.5% as of 2023. In Niger, it is 35.6% as of 2022.
be 16.3% more 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 Niger, on the other hand, 65.6 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 49.7% 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 Niger, that number is 53% of people on average (87% in urban areas, and 46% in rural areas) as of 2024.
be 20.9% 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 Niger, about 15.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 43.3% more on education
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Niger spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 10.1% more on healthcare
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Niger, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 52.8% 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 Niger, they kill 24.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.7 times more home broadband
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Niger has 0.1 as of 2024.
live with 47.9 times more strain on fresh water
Democratic Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Niger withdraws 11% as of 2022.
use 47.3% less electricity
Democratic Republic of the Congo uses 129 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Niger uses 68 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 29.2% 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 Niger, it causes 93.0 as of 2019.
emit 100.0% more CO2
Democratic Republic of the Congo emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Niger emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Democratic Republic of the Congo vs. Niger
MORE COMPARISONS
Niger: At a glance
How big is Niger compared to Democratic Republic of the Congo? See an in-depth size comparison.