Population 2,958,448
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 42.4% (male 630,985; female 622,024)
15-64 years: 54.3% (male 783,238; female 823,882)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 39,369; female 58,950) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate 2.18% (2002 est.)

Birth rate 37.91 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate 16.1 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate 97.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
total population: 47.71 years
female: 51.24 years (2002 est.)
male: 44.27 years

Total fertility rate 4.94 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 6.43% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS 86,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths 8,600 (1999 est.)

Nationality
noun: Congolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Congolese or Congo

Ethnic groups Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3%
note: Europeans estimated at 8,500, mostly French, before the 1997 civil war; may be half that in 1998, following the widespread destruction of foreign businesses in 1997

Religions Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%

Languages French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo has the most users)

Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 74.9%
male: 83.1%
female: 67.2% (1995 est.)

NOTE: The information regarding Congo, Republic of the on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Congo, Republic of the People 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Congo, Republic of the People 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.