Human Development & Quality of Life in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Human Development
UNDP reports a 2023 HDI of 0.522 for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with rank 171. Inequality lowers the index to 0.341, while the gender and planetary-pressure measures add separate views of development.
What sits inside Democratic Republic of the Congo's HDI
Within the UNDP framework, the UNDP inputs behind Democratic Republic of the Congo's HDI are 61.9 for life expectancy, 10.9 for expected years of schooling, 7.4 for mean years of schooling and $1,431 GNI per capita in 2021 PPP dollars. These figures show what sits behind the composite score.
Inequality changes the headline
UNDP's Inequality-adjusted HDI for the Democratic Republic of the Congo is 0.341, compared with headline HDI 0.522. The reported overall loss is 34.7%, reflecting unequal distribution across the HDI dimensions.
Gender and planetary-pressure adjustments
UNDP publishes three complementary 2023 measures for the Democratic Republic of the Congo: GDI 0.886 in group 5, GII 0.604 at rank 162, and PHDI 0.517 after a 1.0% adjustment from HDI.
Quality-of-life coverage is conditional
For Democratic Republic of the Congo, the page has no verified OECD life-satisfaction observation to report. No proxy is inserted for a value the source does not report.
What Democratic Republic of the Congo's numbers say together
Democratic Republic of the Congo's HDI is 0.522, while IHDI falls to 0.341 after inequality is considered. GDI 0.886, GII 0.604 and PHDI 0.517 describe different dimensions, so none is merged into a single DigifyWorld score.
HDI places Democratic Republic of the Congo at rank 171
The 2023 HDI value is 0.522 in UNDP's Human Development Report 2025.
Inequality changes the effective level
IHDI is 0.341, with an overall loss of 34.7% relative to HDI.
Gender development is a separate lens
GDI is 0.886 in UNDP group 5; GII is 0.604 at rank 162.
Planetary pressure changes the adjusted index
PHDI is 0.517, a 1.0% difference from the headline HDI.
Frequently asked questions
What is Democratic Republic of the Congo's HDI?
The UNDP table records Democratic Republic of the Congo at 0.522 on HDI in 2023, with global rank 171.
Is an inequality-adjusted HDI available for the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
UNDP reports an Inequality-adjusted HDI of 0.341 for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, corresponding to an overall loss of 34.7% from the headline HDI.
Why is there no life satisfaction score on this page?
For Democratic Republic of the Congo, subjective well-being is shown only with a verified comparable observation. The absence of a published observation is preserved explicitly. When the indicator is reused, preserve the distinction between level and distribution so the page stays faithful to the published evidence.
Is HDI the same as quality of life?
No. HDI combines health, education and income. Life satisfaction is shown only as a separate subjective well-being measure.
Sources & methodology
Sources for the development indicators and definitions shown above.
View sources used for this page
Primary source for 2023 HDI and its components, plus IHDI, GDI, GII and PHDI where reported.
Report edition underlying the 2023 human-development indices and ranking.
Data note: Reference years are shown with each indicator; unavailable observations remain unfilled.