The Democratic Republic of Congo, the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa, has exceptional natural resources, including mineral deposits (cobalt, copper, etc.), great hydroelectric potential, vast arable land, tremendous biodiversity and the second largest tropical forest in the world, larger than the Amazon rainforest.

Yet most of the DRC's inhabitants have not benefited from these riches. A long succession of conflicts, instability, political unrest and authoritarian regimes has led the country into a severe and persistent humanitarian crisis.

Today, the DRC is one of the five poorest countries in the world, with 62% of its population - or 60 million people - living on less than €2 a day.

Health:

• 43% of children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition.
• 6 million children suffer from stunted growth.
• The maternal mortality rate is catastrophic: 693 deaths per 100,000 live births (compared with 6 in the EU).
• Only 4% of the population has health insurance.

In terms of employment, the country's main source of income is agriculture:

• 70% of the working population is employed in the agricultural sector.
• Only 66.5% of adult women are literate (2018), so they are under-represented in decision-making positions.

Natural resources:

• The DRC is home to most of Africa's tropical rainforest.
• Between 2002 and 2020, the DRC lost more than 5% of its primary forests.