Economy - overview:
The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - a nation endowed with vast natural resource wealth - is slowly recovering after decades of decline.Systemic corruption since independence in 1960, combined with countrywide instability and conflict that began in the early-90s, has dramatically reduced national output and government revenue and increased external debt. With the installation of a transitional government in 2003 after peace accords, economic conditions slowly began to improve as the transitional government reopened relations with international financial institutions and international donors, and President KABILA began implementing reforms. Progress has been slow to reach the interior of the country although clear changes are evident in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi.Renewed activity in the mining sector, the source of most export income, has boosted Kinshasa's fiscal position and GDP growth in recent years, although recent commodity price declines threaten to erase progress. An uncertain legal framework, corruption, and a lack of transparency in government policy are long-term problems for the large mining sector and for the economy as a whole.The country marked its thirteenth consecutive year of positive economic expansion in 2015. Much economic activity still occurs in the informal sector and is not reflected in GDP data. The DRC signed a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility with the IMF in 2009 and received $12 billion in multilateral and bilateral debt relief in 2010, but the IMF at the end of 2012 suspended the last three payments under the loan facility - worth $240 million - because of concerns about the lack of transparency in mining contracts. In 2012, the DRC updated its business laws by adhering to OHADA, the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$66.01 billion (2016 est.) $63.51 billion (2015 est.) $59.4 billion (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
country comparison to the world: 101
[see also: GDP country ranks ]

GDP (official exchange rate):
$39.82 billion (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]

GDP - real growth rate:
3.9% (2016 est.) 6.9% (2015 est.) 9.5% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$800 (2016 est.) $800 (2015 est.) $700 (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
country comparison to the world: 227
[see also: GDP - per capita country ranks ]

Gross national saving:
14.2% of GDP (2016 est.) 15.4% of GDP (2015 est.) 27.1% of GDP (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 73.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 13.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 21%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 0.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 23.7%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -32.3% (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 20.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 31.7%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 48.1% (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]

Agriculture - products:
coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, cotton, cocoa, quinine, cassava (manioc, tapioca), bananas, plantains, peanuts, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products

Industries:
mining (copper, cobalt, gold, diamonds, coltan, zinc, tin, tungsten), mineral processing, consumer products (textiles, plastics, footwear, cigarettes), metal products, processed foods and beverages, timber, cement, commercial ship repair

Industrial production growth rate:
1.2% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]

Labor force:
31.08 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: NA%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: NA%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]

Unemployment rate:
NA%
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]

Population below poverty line:
63% (2012 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.3%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 34.7% (2006)
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - highest 10% country ranks ]

Budget:
revenues: $5.448 billion
[see also: Budget revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $5.837 billion (2016 est.)
[see also: Budget expenditures country ranks ]

Taxes and other revenues:
13.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-1% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]

Public debt:
18.2% of GDP (2016 est.) 17.6% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.6% (2016 est.) 1.2% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]

Central bank discount rate:
4% (31 December 2012) 20% (31 December 2011)
country comparison to the world: 97
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
19.5% (31 December 2016 est.) 19.37% (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]

Stock of narrow money:
$1.212 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $1.213 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]

Stock of broad money:
$5.018 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $4.402 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]

Stock of domestic credit:
$3.701 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $3.381 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]

Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]

Current account balance:
-$308 million (2016 est.) -$1.436 billion (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]

Exports:
$9.316 billion (2016 est.) $10.35 billion (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
[see also: Exports country ranks ]

Exports - commodities:
diamonds, copper, gold, cobalt, wood products, crude oil, coffee

Exports - partners:
China 43.5%, Zambia 25%, South Korea 4.9%, Belgium 4.8% (2015)

Imports:
$10.2 billion (2016 est.) $10.46 billion (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
[see also: Imports country ranks ]

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels

Imports - partners:
China 20.6%, South Africa 17.7%, Zambia 12.3%, Belgium 6.9%, Zimbabwe 5.1%, India 4.7% (2015)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$774 million (31 December 2016 est.) $1.216 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]

Debt - external:
$5.331 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $5.106 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]

Exchange rates:
Congolese francs (CDF) per US dollar - 971.6 (2016 est.) 925.99 (2015 est.) 925.99 (2014 est.) 925.23 (2013 est.) 920.25 (2012 est.)