Deaths in armed conflicts in Democratic Republic of Congo

Democratic Republic of Congo: Deaths in armed conflicts was 29,291 deaths in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
29,291 deaths
Change on year
up 287.4%
World rank
3rd
of 192 countries
All-time high
48,792 deaths
in 1996
All-time low
28 deaths
in 1989
Years of data
37
1989–2025

Deaths in armed conflicts in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1989–2025

010.0k20.0k30.0k40.0k50.0k1989200720251989: 28 deaths1990: 147 deaths1991: 162 deaths1992: 94 deaths1993: 7.0k deaths1994: 4.4k deaths1995: 581 deaths1996: 48.8k deaths1997: 42.4k deaths1998: 16.6k deaths1999: 13.5k deaths2000: 5.6k deaths2001: 1.8k deaths2002: 11.3k deaths2003: 6.0k deaths2004: 1.0k deaths2005: 329 deaths2006: 554 deaths2007: 969 deaths2008: 2.2k deaths2009: 6.1k deaths2010: 1.3k deaths2011: 563 deaths2012: 2.4k deaths2013: 2.7k deaths2014: 1.9k deaths2015: 696 deaths2016: 3.8k deaths2017: 8.0k deaths2018: 2.3k deaths2019: 2.8k deaths2020: 4.2k deaths2021: 3.7k deaths2022: 6.1k deaths2023: 4.7k deaths2024: 7.6k deaths2025: 29.3k deaths

Source: Uppsala Conflict Data Program (2026); geoBoundaries (2023) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.

Analysis

The most recent figure for deaths in armed conflicts in Democratic Republic of Congo is 29,291 deaths, measured in 2025.

That represents a change of up 287.4% on the previous year and up 4,108.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, deaths in armed conflicts in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 48,792 deaths in 1996 and was at its lowest, 28 deaths, in 1989.

That places Democratic Republic of Congo 3rd out of 192 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 28 deaths 28 deaths 28 deaths 1
1990s 13,377 deaths 94 deaths 48,792 deaths 10
2000s 3,598 deaths 329 deaths 11,280 deaths 10
2010s 2,646 deaths 563 deaths 7,968 deaths 10
2020s 9,270 deaths 3,677 deaths 29,291 deaths 6

Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo

  1. 1 Ukraine 137,336 deaths compare
  2. 2 Sudan 90,827 deaths compare
  3. 4 Ethiopia 17,882 deaths compare
  4. 5 Palestine 15,182 deaths compare
  5. 6 Mexico 8,016 deaths compare

See the full ranking of 196 places →

More health data for Democratic Republic of Congo

All data for Democratic Republic of Congo →

Frequently asked questions

What is deaths in armed conflicts in Democratic Republic of Congo?
Deaths in armed conflicts in Democratic Republic of Congo was 29,291 deaths in 2025, according to Uppsala Conflict Data Program (2026); geoBoundaries (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest deaths in armed conflicts recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
The highest recorded value was 48,792 deaths in 1996.
What is the lowest deaths in armed conflicts recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
The lowest recorded value was 28 deaths in 1989.
How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for deaths in armed conflicts?
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 3rd out of 192 countries with data for 2025.
Is deaths in armed conflicts rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
Over the last ten years it is up 4,108.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
The figures come from Uppsala Conflict Data Program (2026); geoBoundaries (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Deaths in armed conflicts. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Deaths in armed conflicts
Unit
deaths
Source
Uppsala Conflict Data Program (2026); geoBoundaries (2023) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
196 places, 7,252 data points, 1989–2025
Last refreshed

The high estimate of the number of deaths of combatants and civilians due to fighting in interstate, intrastate, extrasystemic, non-state conflicts, and one-sided violence that were ongoing that year.