Cholera case-fatality rate in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Cholera case-fatality rate was 1.3% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Cholera case-fatality rate in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1978–2024
Source: World Health Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for cholera case-fatality rate in Democratic Republic of Congo is 1.3%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 48.9% on the previous year and down 20.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cholera case-fatality rate in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 33.6% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 2023.
That places Democratic Republic of Congo 30th out of 118 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Cholera case-fatality rate in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 5.3% | — |
| 1979 | 9.3% | +76.2% |
| 1980 | 7.7% | -16.8% |
| 1981 | 33.6% | +336.3% |
| 1982 | 6.7% | -80.0% |
| 1983 | 8.2% | +22.7% |
| 1984 | 1.9% | -77.5% |
| 1985 | 4.1% | +118.9% |
| 1986 | 11.8% | +191.2% |
| 1987 | 19.0% | +60.6% |
| 1988 | 10.8% | -42.8% |
| 1989 | 6.1% | -44.1% |
| 1990 | 13.0% | +115.1% |
| 1991 | 7.2% | -44.5% |
| 1992 | 3.0% | -58.1% |
| 1993 | 17.7% | +486.3% |
| 1994 | 7.2% | -59.4% |
| 1995 | 4.0% | -44.8% |
| 1996 | 8.1% | +103.4% |
| 1997 | 13.5% | +66.4% |
| 1998 | 8.4% | -37.7% |
| 1999 | 6.2% | -26.5% |
| 2000 | 6.3% | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 6.8% | +8.5% |
| 2002 | 6.3% | -8.2% |
| 2003 | 3.6% | -42.0% |
| 2004 | 3.0% | -18.0% |
| 2005 | 1.8% | -38.9% |
| 2006 | 2.1% | +13.6% |
| 2007 | 2.1% | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 1.8% | -14.4% |
| 2009 | 1.0% | -43.1% |
| 2010 | 1.3% | +26.7% |
| 2011 | 2.7% | +105.3% |
| 2012 | 2.4% | -9.6% |
| 2013 | 1.8% | -25.1% |
| 2014 | 1.7% | -8.1% |
| 2015 | 1.4% | -14.1% |
| 2016 | 2.7% | +87.8% |
| 2017 | 2.1% | -21.6% |
| 2018 | 3.2% | +49.2% |
| 2019 | 1.7% | -46.3% |
| 2020 | 1.8% | +5.5% |
| 2021 | 1.7% | -3.5% |
| 2022 | 1.6% | -9.0% |
| 2023 | 0.9% | -42.8% |
| 2024 | 1.3% | +48.9% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 1.3% is above the median for low income countries, which is 1.0%, 1.3× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 1.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.2%, 1.1× the median. (43 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Cholera case-fatality rate in Democratic Republic of Congo changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | +486.3% | 3.0% | 17.7% |
| 1981 | +336.3% | 7.7% | 33.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.3% | 5.3% | 9.3% | 2 |
| 1980s | 11.0% | 1.9% | 33.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.8% | 3.0% | 17.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.5% | 1.0% | 6.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.1% | 1.3% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.5% | 0.9% | 1.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More health data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.56 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.03 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 821.4 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 133,650 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 390 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 2.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0895 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 2.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cholera case-fatality rate in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Cholera case-fatality rate in Democratic Republic of Congo was 1.3% in 2024, according to World Health Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest cholera case-fatality rate recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 33.6% in 1981.
- What is the lowest cholera case-fatality rate recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 2023.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for cholera case-fatality rate?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 30th out of 118 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cholera case-fatality rate rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Cholera case-fatality rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 47 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Percentage of reported cholera cases that result in death. Testing and reporting is limited in many countries.