Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 23.3 years less

In Hong Kong, the average life expectancy is 85 years (83 years for men, 88 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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Economy

be 58.2% more likely to be unemployed

In Hong Kong, 2.8% 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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make 98.6% less money

Hong Kong has a GDP per capita of $56,983 as of 2025, while in Democratic Republic of the Congo, the GDP per capita is $807 as of 2025.

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Life

have 8.3 times more children

In Hong Kong, there are approximately 4.9 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 22.1 times more likely to die during infancy

In Hong Kong, approximately 2.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the other hand, 56.4 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 77.9% less likely to have access to electricity

In Hong Kong, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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 79.5% less likely to have internet access

In Hong Kong, approximately 95.8% 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 64.3% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Hong Kong, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 36% of people do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 25.5% less on education

Hong Kong spends 3.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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Geography

see 95.0% less coastline

Hong Kong has a total of 733 km of coastline. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 37 km.

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Infrastructure

find 99.9% less home broadband

Hong Kong has 40.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Democratic Republic of the Congo has 0.0 as of 2024.

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use 98.0% less electricity

Hong Kong uses 6,359 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Democratic Republic of the Congo uses 129 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 98.7% less CO2

Hong Kong emits 4.6 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 (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this

Compare further: Hong Kong vs. Democratic Republic of the Congo

Size Comparison · See true size
Hong Kong is about 2,116 times smaller than Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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Moving from Hong Kong to Democratic Republic of the Congo · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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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 Hong Kong? See an in-depth size comparison.

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