Democratic Republic of the Congo: cities by population
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a population of 116,452,162 (UN estimate, 2026), with Kinshasa as its capital. The 50 largest of its 118 recorded towns and cities, ranked.
+131%
since 2000 (50,507,442)
+87%
projected by 2050 (218,246,072)
51
people per km²
Figures are the latest available in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), which draws on national censuses of varying dates — treat them as recent, not same-year. Country totals are UN World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant) where the UN lists the country separately; the handful it reports under a parent state keep a GeoNames figure and are marked as such. Sources & method.
Largest cities in Democratic Republic of the Congo
| # | Place | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinshasa | Kinshasa | 16,000,000 |
| 2 | Lubumbashi | Haut-Katanga | 2,221,925 |
| 3 | Mbuji-Mayi | East Kasai | 2,101,332 |
| 4 | Kananga | Kasai-Central | 1,247,168 |
| 5 | Kisangani | Tshopo | 1,181,788 |
| 6 | Bukavu | South Kivu | 816,811 |
| 7 | Kolwezi | Lualaba | 790,248 |
| 8 | Likasi | Haut-Katanga | 635,768 |
| 9 | Tshikapa | Kasai | 634,529 |
| 10 | Kikwit | Kwilu | 509,367 |
| 11 | Mbandaka | Équateur | 455,011 |
| 12 | Goma | North Kivu | 432,587 |
| 13 | Matadi | Bas-Congo | 425,662 |
| 14 | Uvira | South Kivu | 407,092 |
| 15 | Bunia | Ituri | 399,282 |
| 16 | Boma | Bas-Congo | 297,009 |
| 17 | Mwene | Lualaba | 295,683 |
| 18 | Butembo | North Kivu | 286,242 |
| 19 | Isiro | Haut-Uele | 255,409 |
| 20 | Kindu | Maniema | 234,651 |
| 21 | Kabinda | Lomami | 219,396 |
| 22 | Gandajika | Lomami | 208,051 |
| 23 | Bandundu Province | Kwilu | 202,904 |
| 24 | Kamina | Haut-Lomami | 200,184 |
| 25 | Gemena | Sud-Ubangi | 197,159 |
| 26 | Mwene-Ditu | Lomami | 189,177 |
| 27 | Kipushi | Haut-Katanga | 169,635 |
| 28 | Kalemie | Tanganyika | 160,961 |
| 29 | Bumba | Mongala | 154,586 |
| 30 | Mbanza-Ngungu | Bas-Congo | 142,773 |
| 31 | Beni | North Kivu | 140,731 |
| 32 | Moanda | Bas-Congo | 128,804 |
| 33 | Lisala | Mongala | 117,464 |
| 34 | Ilebo | Kasai | 117,245 |
| 35 | Tshilenge | Lualaba | 116,073 |
| 36 | Inkisi | Bas-Congo | 115,317 |
| 37 | Bukama | Haut-Lomami | 105,530 |
| 38 | Bakwa | Haut-Uele | 100,575 |
| 39 | Kambove | Haut-Katanga | 99,884 |
| 40 | Binga | Mongala | 96,790 |
| 41 | Lodja | Sankuru | 91,409 |
| 42 | Katwa | North Kivu | 89,352 |
| 43 | Mulongo | Haut-Lomami | 89,340 |
| 44 | Idiofa | Kwilu | 87,882 |
| 45 | Kongolo | Tanganyika | 86,932 |
| 46 | Rutshuru | North Kivu | 82,680 |
| 47 | Manono | Tanganyika | 82,465 |
| 48 | Babamba | Tshopo | 81,740 |
| 49 | Kasongo | Maniema | 81,629 |
Twenty years earlier: Democratic Republic of the Congo in the 2005 World Gazetteer — population then 57,261,205.
Common questions
What is the population of Democratic Republic of the Congo?
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a population of 116,452,162, the UN World Population Prospects estimate for 2026. The UN's medium-variant projection for 2050 is 218,246,072 — a forecast, not a measurement.
What is the capital of Democratic Republic of the Congo?
Kinshasa.