Share of the population that owns a mobile phone in Democratic Republic of Congo

Democratic Republic of Congo: Share of the population that owns a mobile phone was 44.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
44.3%
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
180th
of 182 countries
All-time high
45.7%
in 2021
All-time low
33.5%
in 2019
Years of data
6
2019–2024

Share of the population that owns a mobile phone in Democratic Republic of Congo, 2019–2024

010203040502019202120242019: 33.5 %2020: 44.3 %2021: 45.7 %2022: 43.1 %2023: 43.8 %2024: 44.3 %

Source: International Telecommunication Union – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Democratic Republic of Congo recorded 44.3% for share of the population that owns a mobile phone in 2024.

The figure is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 32.2% over ten years.

That places Democratic Republic of Congo 180th out of 182 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Share of the population that owns a mobile phone in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year

Annual values for Share of the population that owns a mobile phone in Democratic Republic of Congo, 2019 to 2024.
Year % Change
2019 33.5%
2020 44.3% +32.2%
2021 45.7% +3.2%
2022 43.1% -5.7%
2023 43.8% +1.6%
2024 44.3% +1.1%

Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries

  • Democratic Republic of Congo's 44.3% is below the median for low income countries, which is 53.8%, 82% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
  • Democratic Republic of Congo's 44.3% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 69.1%, 64% of the median. (39 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 33.5% 33.5% 33.5% 1
2020s 44.2% 43.1% 45.7% 5

Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo

  1. 177 Papua New Guinea 48.1% compare
  2. 178 Zambia 47.4% compare
  3. 179 Madagascar 44.4% compare
  4. 181 Uganda 43.3% compare
  5. 182 Burundi 27.8% compare

See the full ranking of 182 places →

More science & technology data for Democratic Republic of Congo

All data for Democratic Republic of Congo →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of the population that owns a mobile phone in Democratic Republic of Congo?
Share of the population that owns a mobile phone in Democratic Republic of Congo was 44.3% in 2024, according to International Telecommunication Union – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of the population that owns a mobile phone recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
The highest recorded value was 45.7% in 2021.
What is the lowest share of the population that owns a mobile phone recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
The lowest recorded value was 33.5% in 2019.
How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for share of the population that owns a mobile phone?
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 180th out of 182 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of the population that owns a mobile phone rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
Over the last ten years it is up 32.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
The figures come from International Telecommunication Union – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population that owns a mobile phone. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of the population that owns a mobile phone in Democratic Republic of Congo. Statizoid, drawing on International Telecommunication Union – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 21 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/share-population-mobile-phone/congo-dem-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population that owns a mobile phone
Unit
%
Source
International Telecommunication Union – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
182 places, 1,308 data points, 2013–2025
Last refreshed

Proportion of individuals who own a mobile telephone, by sex (%).