Internally displaced people due to conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Internally displaced people due to conflict was 5.67 million people in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Internally displaced people due to conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1993–2025
Source: UNHCR (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2025, internally displaced people due to conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo stood at 5.67 million people.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 17.9% on the previous year and up 264.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, internally displaced people due to conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 6.91 million people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0 people, in 1993.
That places Democratic Republic of Congo 3rd out of 205 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.
Internally displaced people due to conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 0 people | — |
| 1994 | 0 people | — |
| 1995 | 0 people | — |
| 1996 | 0 people | — |
| 1997 | 0 people | — |
| 1998 | 0 people | — |
| 1999 | 0 people | — |
| 2000 | 3,000 people | — |
| 2001 | 3,458 people | +15.3% |
| 2002 | 9,000 people | +160.3% |
| 2003 | 0 people | -100.0% |
| 2004 | 0 people | — |
| 2005 | 0 people | — |
| 2006 | 1.08 million people | — |
| 2007 | 1.32 million people | +22.6% |
| 2008 | 1.46 million people | +10.8% |
| 2009 | 2.05 million people | +40.6% |
| 2010 | 1.72 million people | -16.1% |
| 2011 | 1.71 million people | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 2.67 million people | +56.2% |
| 2013 | 2.96 million people | +11.0% |
| 2014 | 2.76 million people | -7.0% |
| 2015 | 1.56 million people | -43.6% |
| 2016 | 2.23 million people | +43.6% |
| 2017 | 4.35 million people | +94.9% |
| 2018 | 4.52 million people | +3.8% |
| 2019 | 5.01 million people | +11.0% |
| 2020 | 5.20 million people | +3.7% |
| 2021 | 5.41 million people | +4.0% |
| 2022 | 5.54 million people | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 6.25 million people | +12.8% |
| 2024 | 6.91 million people | +10.5% |
| 2025 | 5.67 million people | -17.9% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 5.67 million people is above the median for low income countries, which is 414,524 people, 13.7× the median. (25 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Internally displaced people due to conflict 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | +160.3% | 3,458 people | 9,000 people |
| 2003 | -100.0% | 9,000 people | 0 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0 people | 0 people | 0 people | 7 |
| 2000s | 592,142 people | 0 people | 2.05 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.95 million people | 1.56 million people | 5.01 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.83 million people | 5.20 million people | 6.91 million people | 6 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More social development data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 503,732 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1.18 million (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0104 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1.18 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0045 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is internally displaced people due to conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Internally displaced people due to conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo was 5.67 million people in 2025, according to UNHCR (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest internally displaced people due to conflict recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 6.91 million people in 2024.
- What is the lowest internally displaced people due to conflict recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 people in 1993.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for internally displaced people due to conflict?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 3rd out of 205 countries with data for 2025.
- Is internally displaced people due to conflict rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 264.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
- The figures come from UNHCR (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Internally displaced people due to conflict. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
People who were forced to leave their homes due to armed conflict or violence.