Share of children who are stunted vs. GDP per capita in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Share of children who are stunted vs. GDP per capita was 44.7% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
44.7%
World rank
6th
of 97 countries
All-time high
51.0%
in 1995
All-time low
41.8%
in 2017
Years of data
7
1995–2023
Share of children who are stunted vs. GDP per capita in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1995–2023
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Democratic Republic of Congo recorded 44.7% for share of children who are stunted vs. gdp per capita in 2023.
The figure is up 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children who are stunted vs. gdp per capita in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 51.0% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 41.8%, in 2017.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 6th of 97 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Share of children who are stunted vs. GDP per capita in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 51.0% | — |
| 2001 | 44.4% | -12.9% |
| 2007 | 45.8% | +3.2% |
| 2010 | 43.4% | -5.2% |
| 2013 | 42.7% | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 41.8% | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 44.7% | +6.9% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 44.7% is above the median for low income countries, which is 33.1%, 1.4× the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 44.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 28.5%, 1.6× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 51.0% | 51.0% | 51.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 45.1% | 44.4% | 45.8% | 2 |
| 2010s | 42.6% | 41.8% | 43.4% | 3 |
| 2020s | 44.7% | 44.7% | 44.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
- 3 Niger 47.7% compare
- 4 East Timor 46.7% compare
- 5 Guatemala 46.0% compare
- 7 Afghanistan 44.6% compare
- 8 Madagascar 39.8% compare
- 9 Central African Republic 37.9% compare
More economy & growth data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 197.81 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0026 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 1.81 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 1.87 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -35.9 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0205 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 16.56 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 16.58 % change on previous year (2023)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0731 includes gold, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), per capita 48.25 includes gold, current US$ per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children who are stunted vs. gdp per capita in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Share of children who are stunted vs. gdp per capita in Democratic Republic of Congo was 44.7% in 2023, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children who are stunted vs. gdp per capita recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 51.0% in 1995.
- What is the lowest share of children who are stunted vs. gdp per capita recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.8% in 2017.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for share of children who are stunted vs. gdp per capita?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 6th out of 97 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of children who are stunted vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children who are stunted vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The share of children who are stunted – significantly shorter than the average for their age. GDP per capita is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.