Population 2,583,198 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 43% (male 557,996; female 552,022)
15-64 years: 54% (male 677,313; female 707,569)
65 years and over: 3% (male 35,573; female 52,725) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate 2.15% (1997 est.)

Birth rate 38.79 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate 17.3 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over : 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate 106.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
total population : 45.73 years
male: 44.24 years
female: 47.27 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate 5.06 children born/woman (1997 est.)

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

Ethnic groups Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans 8,500 (mostlyFrench)

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

Languages French (official), African languages (Lingala and Kikongo are the mostwidely used)

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 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Congo, Republic of the People 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Congo, Republic of the People 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.