Congo - Brazzaville profile

Demography and Health

The Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville) has a population of about 6.33 million in 2024, indicating a relatively small but growing demographic base. A high birth rate of 30.6 births per 1,000 people (2023) suggests a young population, which can be a potential demographic dividend if paired with adequate health, education, and job creation, but also places demand on maternal and child health services. Life expectancy at birth is 65.8 years (2023), and the under-5 mortality rate stands at 40.5 per 1,000 live births, signaling ongoing challenges in child health and nutrition. The crude death rate is 6.29 per 1,000, contributing to a net demographic dynamic that requires sustained health investments. The prevalence of undernourishment affects about 26.8% of the population (2022), underscoring persistent food-security vulnerabilities despite other indicators of economic activity. Health spending remains relatively low, with current health expenditure at 2.19% of GDP (2022) and government health expenditure per capita (PPP, current international US$) at about 30.4, suggesting limited public funding for health services. The physician density is 0.175 per 1,000 people (2022), reflecting constraints in human resources for health, while internet access—38.4% of the population (2023)—points to a digital gap that can influence health information dissemination and service delivery. Overall, demography and health data portray a young society facing nutrition, health system, and resource constraints that will need targeted policies in maternal and child health, nutrition, and primary care to translate demographic momentum into improved well-being.

Economy

The economy shows a modest per capita profile with GDP per capita at 2,482 current US$ in 2024, and a higher purchasing-power-parity metric of 7,026 current international US$, reflecting differences between market prices and living costs and suggesting resilience from a global purchasing perspective. The structure indicates substantial openness to trade, with exports of goods and services comprising 52.8% of GDP in 2024 and imports at 40.4% of GDP, signaling a relatively export-oriented economy for a small country. Inflation sits at 3.09% in 2024, a moderate rate that can support predictable pricing and investment planning if sustained. Foreign direct investment net inflows are 4.09% of GDP in 2023, indicating some external financing and confidence but still modest relative to larger peers. The current account balance stands at 11.6% of GDP in 2021, suggesting a favorable external position at that time, though the latest trajectory is not provided. Renewable energy consumption accounts for a robust 71.4% of total final energy consumption in 2021, implying a strong reliance on hydro or other renewables that can support energy security and lower energy costs in the long run. High-technology exports are relatively small, totaling about 27.1 million USD in 2022, highlighting limited high-tech industrial output but potential for diversification as governance and investment climate improve. Overall, Congo-Brazzaville’s economy appears modest in income levels but reasonably open to trade, with energy advantages from renewables that could anchor future growth if structural reforms and investment climate improve.

Trade and Investment

Trade dynamics show a sizable openness, with exports of goods and services amounting to 52.8% of GDP in 2024 and imports at 40.4%, indicating a balance tilted toward export activity relative to domestic demand. The country attracts foreign direct investment net inflows at 4.09% of GDP in 2023, a modest but meaningful level that can support capacity building, technology transfer, and infrastructure through credible, policy-consistent investment. The logistics environment, as captured by the Logistics Performance Index with a score of 2.1 (2022), ranks around the lower-middle on a 1-to-5 scale for quality of trade and transport infrastructure, signaling room for improvement in customs efficiency, logistics reliability, and border procedures to bolster competitiveness. The combination of a relatively high export share, steady but modest FDI, and constrained logistics capacity suggests opportunities to boost competitiveness through targeted reforms in trade facilitation, infrastructure investment, and governance—areas where even incremental improvements can raise export performance and attract higher-quality investment.

Governance and Institutions

governance indicators reveal substantive weaknesses that can constrain development. Political stability and absence of violence/terrorism sit at 0.0192 in 2023, indicating near-neutral stability with potentially elevated sensitivity to shocks. Regulatory quality is notably negative at -1.24, Rule of Law at -1.02, and Control of Corruption at -1.35, with Government Effectiveness at -1.33, signaling entrenched governance and institutional challenges that can hinder policy implementation, contract enforcement, and risk assessment for investors. These indicators align with a relatively weak regulatory environment for business and evidence-based policy making, complicating long-term planning and the capacity to scale reforms. The presence of research and development expenditure at 0.383% of GDP (2022) suggests limited investment in knowledge-generation relative to peers, and a low physician density (0.175 per 1,000 people in 2022) underscores resource constraints in public services. Taken together, governance and institutions present a fragile enabling environment for sustained investment and inclusive growth, underscoring the need for credible anti-corruption measures, stronger rule of law, and efficient public administration to unlock higher levels of private sector confidence and social outcomes.

Infrastructure and Technology

Technology and infrastructure metrics paint a mixed picture. Internet penetration stands at 38.4% of the population (2023), indicating that a substantial portion remains offline, which can constrain digital services, e-governance, and private-sector innovation. Exports of high-technology goods are modest (about 27.1 million USD in 2022), reflecting limited manufacturing capabilities in advanced sectors. R&D spending is 0.383% of GDP (2022), indicating underinvestment in science and innovation compared with many peers, potentially dampening long-term productivity gains. The physician density of 0.175 per 1,000 people (2022) and domestic government health expenditure per capita (PPP) of 30.4 international US$ (2022) indicate gaps in human capital and health infrastructure that can affect human development outcomes. The Logistics Performance Index score of 2.1 signals bottlenecks in trade-related infrastructure, which, if addressed, could significantly improve regional integration and competitiveness. The substantial share of renewable energy (71.4% of total final energy consumption in 2021) points to an energy system with hydro or other renewables offering resilience and lower emissions, provided capacity and transmission are expanded to meet rising demand. Overall, infrastructure and technology capabilities show meaningful strengths in renewables and potential in digital connectivity, with notable gaps in health, R&D, and logistics that require targeted investment and governance reform to unleash broader productivity gains.

Environment and Sustainability

Environmental indicators reflect a mixed but positive trajectory in sustainability. Total greenhouse gas emissions per capita are 3.83 t CO2e, per person, in 2023, placing Congo-Brazzaville in a middle tier for emissions among developing economies and signaling ongoing urban and industrial activity zones. The country shows a very low level of freshwater withdrawal relative to available resources, with a water-stress measure of 0.0274 in 2021, suggesting substantial water resources availability and relatively low current competition for water. The country also faces a notable challenge with undernourishment at 26.8% of the population (2022), highlighting food security and nutrition as critical sustainability concerns alongside climate resilience. Renewable energy’s dominance in the energy mix aligns with lower-carbon trajectories, but the reliance on finite hydro resources can expose the energy system to climate variability. Taken together, Congo-Brazzaville’s environmental profile points to opportunities to strengthen resilience through continued investments in renewable capacity, climate adaptation, and nutrition-sensitive policies, while maintaining sustainable water and land-use practices to support healthy, productive communities.