Life expectancy in Congo
Congo: Life expectancy was 63.17 Years in 2021. ▲ Rising
Life expectancy in Congo, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in Years.
Analysis
In 2021, life expectancy in Congo stood at 63.17 Years.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 3.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy in Congo peaked at 63.36 Years in 2020 and was at its lowest, 52.22 Years, in 2000.
Congo ranks 158th of 185 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Life expectancy in Congo, year by year
| Year | Years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 52.22 Years | — |
| 2001 | 53.11 Years | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 53.81 Years | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 54.5 Years | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 55.41 Years | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 56.51 Years | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 57.53 Years | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 58.26 Years | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 59.22 Years | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 60.09 Years | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 60.6 Years | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 61.13 Years | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 61.22 Years | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 61.43 Years | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 61.64 Years | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 62.05 Years | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 62.57 Years | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 62.84 Years | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 63.06 Years | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 62.76 Years | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 63.36 Years | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 63.17 Years | -0.3% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 63.17 Years is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 66.81 Years, 95% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Congo's 63.17 Years is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 63.05 Years, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 56.07 Years | 52.22 Years | 60.09 Years | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.93 Years | 60.6 Years | 63.06 Years | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.27 Years | 63.17 Years | 63.36 Years | 2 |
Countries ranked near Congo
More health data for Congo
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.4813 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.9705 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 759.5 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 2,688 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 11 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.44 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0695 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.45 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy in Congo?
- Life expectancy in Congo was 63.17 Years in 2021, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 63.36 Years in 2020.
- What is the lowest life expectancy recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 52.22 Years in 2000.
- How does Congo rank for life expectancy?
- Congo ranks 158th out of 185 countries with data for 2021.
- Is life expectancy rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Congo data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The period life expectancy at birth, in a given year.