Employment (ILO modelled estimates) in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Employment (ILO modelled estimates) was 37,479 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1991–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for employment in Democratic Republic of Congo is 37,479, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is up 3.2% on the previous year and up 37.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 37,479 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 14,721, in 1991.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 17th of 188 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment (ILO modelled estimates) in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 14,721 | — |
| 1992 | 15,200 | +3.3% |
| 1993 | 15,738 | +3.5% |
| 1994 | 16,595 | +5.4% |
| 1995 | 17,344 | +4.5% |
| 1996 | 17,532 | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 17,631 | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 18,049 | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 18,663 | +3.4% |
| 2000 | 19,257 | +3.2% |
| 2001 | 19,865 | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 20,483 | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 21,094 | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 21,727 | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 22,408 | +3.1% |
| 2006 | 22,764 | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 23,085 | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 23,396 | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 23,722 | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 24,109 | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 24,536 | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 24,968 | +1.8% |
| 2013 | 25,738 | +3.1% |
| 2014 | 26,530 | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 27,307 | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 28,189 | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 29,142 | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 29,993 | +2.9% |
| 2019 | 30,798 | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 31,093 | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 32,206 | +3.6% |
| 2022 | 33,903 | +5.3% |
| 2023 | 35,086 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | 36,306 | +3.5% |
| 2025 | 37,479 | +3.2% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 37,479 is above the median for low income countries, which is 6,743, 5.6× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 37,479 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5,964, 6.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16,831 | 14,721 | 18,663 | 9 |
| 2000s | 21,780 | 19,257 | 23,722 | 10 |
| 2010s | 27,131 | 24,109 | 30,798 | 10 |
| 2020s | 34,345 | 31,093 | 37,479 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More work & labour data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 23,407 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 64.13 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 41,856 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 4.48 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 2 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 4,595 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 1,696 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 61.26 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 3.69 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 3.33 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Employment in Democratic Republic of Congo was 37,479 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 37,479 in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 14,721 in 1991.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for employment?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 17th out of 188 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The employed comprise all persons of working age who, during a specified brief period, were in one of the following categories: a) paid employment (whether at work or with a job but not at work); or b) self-employment (whether at work or with an enterprise but not at work). Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.