Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of Democratic Republic of the Congo, you would:
Health
live 16.8 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 United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 233.3 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). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
have 17.7 times more doctors per person
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. United States has 36.8 as of 2022.
have 2.0 times more access to essential health services
Democratic Republic of the Congo scores 42 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United States scores 86 as of 2021.
be 6.1 times more likely to be obese
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 6.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United States, that number is 41.0% of people as of 2024.
be 78.2% more 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 United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 111.6 times more money
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a GDP per capita of $807 as of 2025, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
Life
be 96.0% 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 United States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 90.2% 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 United States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
have 74.1% fewer children
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are approximately 40.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 4.5 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 United States, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 4.8 times 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 United States, about 94.7% do as of 2024.
be 2.8 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 United States, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 90.8% more on education
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. United States spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 4.5 times more on healthcare
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 538.5 times more coastline
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a total of 37 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.
Safety
be 12.9% less 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 United States, they kill 14.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 1295.3 times more home broadband
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United States has 38.9 as of 2024.
use 99.9 times more electricity
Democratic Republic of the Congo uses 129 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United States uses 12,839 kWh as of 2024.
live with 122.4 times more strain on fresh water
Democratic Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United States withdraws 28% as of 2022.
Environment
be 80.6% less 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 United States, it causes 14.0 as of 2019.
emit 227.0 times more CO2
Democratic Republic of the Congo emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Democratic Republic of the Congo vs. United States
MORE COMPARISONS
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to Democratic Republic of the Congo? See an in-depth size comparison.