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DR Congo

DR Congo is a low income economy in Sub-Saharan Africa, with its capital at Kinshasa. 22.5% of its people had electricity in 2024.

  • Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Low income
  • Capital: Kinshasa
  • Currency: CDF
World map of Electricity access, latest available year by country
Electricity access
22.5%
2024, world 91.9%
Renewable electricity
90.4%
2021, world 27.8%
CO₂ per person
0.06 t
2024, world 4.69 t
Consumption per person
127 kWh
2024, world 3,708 kWh
Clean cooking
5.0%
2024, world 75.4%
GDP per person
807
2025, world 14,406

Electricity generation mix

  • Oil
  • Coal
  • Gas
  • Hydro
  • Nuclear
  • Solar, wind & other

DR Congo2024

Sub-Saharan Africa2024

World2025

View data table
EconomyOilCoalGasHydroNuclearSolar, wind & otherYear
DR Congo1.1%0.0%0.0%98.5%0.0%-9.2%2024
Sub-Saharan Africa5.0%42.9%14.0%29.9%1.6%4.3%2024
World1.2%15.1%28.7%15.2%15.2%12.4%2025

Share of electricity production by source, latest year available. Shares may not sum to exactly 100% because of rounding and minor sources.

Access to electricity

% of population, compared with Sub-Saharan Africa and the world.

Access to electricity, DR Congo
  • DR Congo
  • World
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
View data table
Access to electricity, DR Congo
YearDR CongoWorldSub-Saharan Africa
2024 22.5%91.9%55.1%
2023 22.1%91.6%53.3%
2022 21.5%91.3%51.5%
2021 20.8%91.3%50.7%
2020 20.1%90.4%48.5%
2019 19.1%90.1%47.2%
2018 18.7%89.8%46.4%
2017 18.0%88.9%43.8%
2016 17.3%88.1%43.8%
2015 16.6%86.9%39.2%
2014 13.5%86.2%38.4%
2013 15.2%85.7%38.0%
2012 15.4%84.9%36.8%
2011 13.7%84.5%35.9%
2010 13.0%83.5%33.3%
2009 12.3%82.9%32.6%
2008 11.6%82.7%32.4%
2007 15.2%82.0%32.5%
2006 10.2%81.4%31.2%
2005 6.0%80.7%29.4%
2004 9.0%80.0%29.4%
2003 8.3%80.0%29.6%
2002 7.7%79.1%27.3%
2001 7.1%78.7%26.2%
2000 6.7%78.2%25.7%
1999 –74.5%30.1%
1998 –73.2%28.6%
1997 ––28.4%
1996 ––28.5%

Emissions

CO₂ per person, tonnes, excluding land use.

CO₂ emissions per capita, DR Congo
  • DR Congo
  • World
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
View data table
CO₂ emissions per capita, DR Congo
YearDR CongoWorldSub-Saharan Africa
2024 0.06 t4.69 t0.70 t
2023 0.06 t4.68 t0.70 t
2022 0.06 t4.67 t0.72 t
2021 0.05 t4.68 t0.75 t
2020 0.05 t4.47 t0.73 t
2019 0.05 t4.70 t0.79 t
2018 0.05 t4.73 t0.80 t
2017 0.04 t4.67 t0.80 t
2016 0.04 t4.65 t0.81 t
2015 0.04 t4.70 t0.82 t
2014 0.05 t4.78 t0.86 t
2013 0.04 t4.81 t0.85 t
2012 0.04 t4.77 t0.82 t
2011 0.05 t4.76 t0.82 t
2010 0.04 t4.67 t0.84 t
2009 0.04 t4.45 t0.82 t
2008 0.04 t4.56 t0.89 t
2007 0.05 t4.59 t0.86 t
2006 0.04 t4.48 t0.86 t
2005 0.04 t4.39 t0.89 t
2004 0.04 t4.28 t0.89 t
2003 0.04 t4.15 t0.86 t
2002 0.04 t4.02 t0.84 t
2001 0.04 t4.01 t0.85 t
2000 0.04 t4.01 t0.85 t
1999 0.05 t3.95 t0.85 t
1998 0.05 t3.98 t0.89 t
1997 0.06 t4.02 t0.91 t
1996 0.06 t4.01 t0.90 t
1995 0.05 t3.99 t0.87 t

Currency

2,312.14 CDF

per US dollar, mid-market reference. 1 CDF = ₦0.576

Sunshine in Kinshasa

6.6 kWh/m² today

  1. Tu6.6 kWh per square metre
  2. We5.7 kWh per square metre
  3. Th4.7 kWh per square metre
  4. Fr5.6 kWh per square metre
  5. Sa4.1 kWh per square metre
  6. Su5.1 kWh per square metre
  7. Mo5.4 kWh per square metre

Open-Meteo forecast, modelled irradiation.

Power plants

Installed capacity by fuel

15 plants, 3,057 MW recorded in WRI’s Global Power Plant Database.

  • Hydro3,019 MW
  • Gas25 MW
  • Oil13 MW

Snapshot as of the database’s 2021 release; newer plants are not included. Nameplate capacity, not available generation.

Largest plants

PlantFuelMWSince
Inga IIHydro1,7751982
NsekeHydro2601956
NziloHydro2281957
Zongo IIHydro1502017
ImboulouHydro1202011
Ruzizi IHydro811958
Zongo 1Hydro751945
MoukoukoulouHydro741979
M'ShaHydro68–
MwadingushaHydro681930
KatendeHydro642016
KoniHydro421950

All indicators

DR Congo in numbers

Data catalogue

Energy access

IndicatorDR CongoYearSub-Saharan AfricaWorld
Access to electricity % of population 22.5% 2024 55.1% 91.9%
Access to electricity, rural % of rural population 1.0% 2024 35.7% 84.9%
Access to electricity, urban % of urban population 55.0% 2024 82.9% 97.8%
Access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking % of population 5.0% 2024 22.9% 75.4%

Power supply and mix

IndicatorDR CongoYearSub-Saharan AfricaWorld
Electricity production from coal % of total 0.0% 2021 42.9% 15.1%
Electricity production from natural gas % of total 0.0% 2021 14.0% 28.7%
Electricity production from oil % of total 1.1% 2024 5.0% 1.2%
Electricity production from nuclear % of total 0.0% 2021 1.6% 15.2%
Electricity production from hydroelectric sources % of total 98.5% 2024 29.9% 15.2%
Electric power transmission and distribution losses % of output 9.1% 2024 13.4% 6.9%
Electric power consumption per capita kWh per capita 127 kWh 2024 380 kWh 3,708 kWh

Energy transition

IndicatorDR CongoYearSub-Saharan AfricaWorld
Electricity production from renewables, excluding hydro % of total -9.2% 2021 4.3% 12.4%
Renewable electricity output % of total electricity output 90.4% 2021 32.6% 27.8%
Renewable energy consumption % of total final energy consumption 96.3% 2021 70.3% 19.7%
CO₂ emissions per capita (excluding LULUCF) t CO₂e per capita 0.06 t 2024 0.70 t 4.69 t
CO₂ emissions, total (excluding LULUCF) Mt CO₂e 6.2 Mt 2024 896.3 Mt 39,632.7 Mt
Energy intensity of primary energy MJ per $2017 PPP GDP 12.51 MJ/$ 2021 6.14 MJ/$ 4.54 MJ/$

Energy economy

IndicatorDR CongoYearSub-Saharan AfricaWorld
Fuel exports % of merchandise exports 1.8% 2024 40.9% 9.5%
Oil rents % of GDP 0.65% 2021 3.80% 1.36%
Natural gas rents % of GDP 0.00% 2021 0.49% 0.52%
GDP per capita current US$ 807 2025 1,673 14,406
Population, total people 112.8M 2025 1.3B 8.2B

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0). Latest year available per series.

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