Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Democratic Republic of the Congo instead of Russia, you would:
Health
be 62.0% less likely to be obese
In Russia, 17.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 6.7% of people as of 2024.
be 59.0% less likely to die by suicide
Russia has a suicide rate of 21.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is 8.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 11.4 years less
In Russia, the average life expectancy is 73 years (68 years for men, 79 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.
see 98.2% less spent on your healthcare
Russia spends $3,204 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Democratic Republic of the Congo spends $58 as of 2023.
have 95.9% fewer doctors per person
Russia has 51.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Democratic Republic of the Congo has 2.1 as of 2022.
have 46.8% less access to essential health services
Russia scores 79 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Democratic Republic of the Congo scores 42 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Russia, 2.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 4.4% as of 2025.
make 95.4% less money
Russia has a GDP per capita of $17,547 as of 2025, while in Democratic Republic of the Congo, the GDP per capita is $807 as of 2025.
Life
have 4.9 times more children
In Russia, there are approximately 8.4 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.
be 47.4 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Russia, approximately 9.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 427.0 women do as of 2023.
be 31.5% less likely to be literate
In Russia, the literacy rate is 99.9% as of 2021. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is 68.5% as of 2023.
be 13.8 times more likely to die during infancy
In Russia, approximately 4.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the other hand, 56.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 77.9% less likely to have access to electricity
In Russia, 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.
be 79.2% less likely to have internet access
In Russia, approximately 94.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 19.7% do as of 2024.
be 63.2% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Russia, approximately 97% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 90% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 36% of people on average (59% in urban areas, and 14% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 31.7% less on education
Russia spends 4.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 47.7% less on healthcare
Russia spends 7.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 3.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 99.9% less coastline
Russia has a total of 37,653 km of coastline. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 37 km.
Safety
be 53.8% more likely to die in a road accident
In Russia, road accidents kill 10.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, they kill 16.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 94.4% less strain on fresh water
Russia withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Democratic Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 99.9% less home broadband
Russia has 27.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Democratic Republic of the Congo has 0.0 as of 2024.
use 98.2% less electricity
Russia uses 7,285 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Democratic Republic of the Congo uses 129 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 99.6% less CO2
Russia emits 14.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Democratic Republic of the Congo emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
be 84.6% more likely to die from air pollution
In Russia, air pollution causes 39.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, it causes 72.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Russia vs. Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo: At a glance
How big is Democratic Republic of the Congo compared to Russia? See an in-depth size comparison.