The World Bank in the Republic of Congo

The Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), located in Central Africa, covers 342,000 km2. Its population of 5.7 million people is largely young, with 47% being under age 18. More than half of the population lives in its two main cities — Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire. The country is one of the least densely populated in Africa, with 14.8 inhabitants per square kilometer. 

Covered mainly by tropical forests, the Republic of Congo also has one of the largest areas of tropical peatlands, a fragile ecosystem that removes carbon from the atmosphere and stores it, thus helping to slow global warming. The oil sector accounts for about half of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and 80% of its exports, making it the third largest producer in Sub Saharan Africa. The country also has a wealth of mineral resources that remain largely untapped. 

Political Context

President Denis Sassou Nguesso was reelected in March 2021. He led the country for the first time from 1979 to 1992, returned to power in 1997, and has won all elections since 2002.  A new Prime Minister Anatole Collinet Makosso was appointed in May 2021 and is leading a government whose priorities include institutional, economic, financial, social, and inclusive governance. 

Social Context

With a human capital index (HCI) of 0.42, the Republic of Congo is behind the average of 0.48 for its peers Low Middle-Income Countries (LMICs).  The country has only made modest improvements in health and education on the Human Development Index (HDI), despite its recent increase in income per capita. Infant mortality remains high at a rate of 32 deaths per 1,000 live births. Only 30% of primary school children have attained the required proficiency levels in math and 40% in French. Access to electricity stands at 66% of the population in urban areas compared to just 15% in rural areas. Access to clean water is below the country’s hydrological potential as 74% of the population has access to a clean water source, while access in rural areas is lower at 46%. 

Economic Context

Economic activity in Congo is estimated to have increased by 1.5% in 2022, compared to a contraction of 2.2% in 2021. The economic growth rate in 2022 was not strong enough to reduce the poverty rate. The proportion of population living below the international extreme poverty line increased slightly from 52.0% in 2021 to 52.5 % in 2022.

Overall inflation remained contained in 2022 at 3%. However, food prices increased by 6.2% in 2022 (y-o-y), worsening food insecurity in Congo. Although Congo remains in debt distress due to arrears, higher oil prices, improved debt management, and debt restructuring agreements helped restore the sustainability of public debt, which fell from 102% of GDP at end-2021 to 94% at end-2022.

GDP is forecast to grow at a rate of 3.5% in 2023 and 3.6% on average in 2024-2025. This outlook is subject to downside risks, including volatile oil prices and unsteady oil production, an intensification of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and related spillovers, weaker-than-expected global demand, a further tightening of global or regional financial conditions, and adverse weather conditions.

Last Updated: Mar 30, 2023

In January 2022, the government approved a new National Development Plan (NDP) for the 2022-2026 period, which focuses on economic diversification to reduce fragilities and put the country on the path to high, resilient, and inclusive growth.

The World Bank Group’s 2020-2024 Country Partnership Framework (CPF) with the Republic of Congo was extended by a year until 2025 following a Performance and Learning Review (PLR) conducted in the fall of 2021 and approved by the Board of Directors on April 7, 2022.

The CPF, which is aligned with the government’s objectives, aims at helping the country improve economic management, create a business environment conducive to economic diversification, strengthen its human capital, and improve the delivery of basic public services, in particular health, education, and social protection services.

As of March 31, 2023, the World Bank has a portfolio of 16 active projects including one regional project for a total commitment amount of $755.96 million, financed through IDA, IBRD and Trust Funds.

Last Updated: Mar 30, 2023

The Support to Enterprise Development and Competitiveness Project (PADEC) P161590 of $25.00 million aims to promote entrepreneurship by supporting the creation and development of micro, small, and medium enterprises and strengthening their competitiveness. As of June 30, 2022, 627 firms have benefitted from PADEC’s training and direct technical and financial support through its dedicated business plan competition (CPA) and MSME grant facility. (FADPME). Beneficiaries include existing SMEs, providers of business development services (BDS), new private sector clusters/cooperatives of firms (GIE), and start-ups successfully launched and financed. Amongst its achievements, it is worth noting that PADEC:

• facilitated the adoption of select investment climate reforms (reducing the procedures and costs of compliance in areas related to enterprise creation, access to credit, cross-border trade and payment of taxes).
• strengthened the institutional and regulatory environment for the development of industrial infrastructure and the capacity of institutions supporting SME development and investment.

The Urban Development and Poor Neighborhood Upgrading Project (DURQUAP) P146933 of $120.00 million aims to improve access to infrastructure and basic services for residents in four poor neighborhoods in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire. It also provides assistance in urban management to the authorities. Key project achievements include:  

• 21.280 km of paved urban roads.
• 17.950 km of culverts installed.
• One market totally rehabilitated.
• Two local urban development plans produced.

The Forest and Economic Diversification Project (PFDE) P 124085 of $32.60 million worked to strengthen the capacity of the forest administration and help local communities improve their management of forest resources. After 10 years of implementation, the project has been able to:

• Support 2,671 households to develop agroforestry crops (with cocoa, bananas, fruit trees, forest trees, food crops, and acacia) on a surface of 1,669 hectares of ecologically degraded areas (about 2,300 football fields).
• Facilitate the implementation of activities with shorter cycles, such as beekeeping, which increase the incomes of the population while restoring the environment. Provide microfinance support to producer groups through their savings and loans associations

The Northern Congo Agroforestry Project (PANC) P166189 of $15.57 million is to build on the successes of PFDE with more involvement   in the environmental sector. It aims to use the lessons learned and successes of the PFDE in the field of agroforestry and climate-smart agriculture. Currently in its first year of implementation, it will notably support the establishment of mixed subsistence agroforestry systems and mixed agroforestry crops with cocoa in degraded areas.

The Emission Reductions Program (ERP) in Sangha and Likouala P163361 of $41.8 million Project aims to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation by rewarding the conservation efforts of key stakeholders with matching payments of their efforts. The project, which is among the first large-scale REDD+ experiments in Africa, will be implemented in the departments of Sangha and Likouala, which cover more than 12 million hectares and account for nearly 60% of the country's forests. The objective is to reduce CO2 emissions by the equivalent of 8,359,000 tons (i.e. around 100,000 Paris - Brazzaville plane flights).

The Climate-Resilient and Inclusive Livelihoods Project (ProClimat Congo) P 177786 of $82 million intends to strengthen landscape management and improve livelihoods for local communities in three distinct landscape areas in the North, Center, and South regions. The project adopts a landscape approach that will foster sustainable use of natural resources and conservation, while managing climate risks, particularly flooding and droughts. It will focus on empowering communities by promoting sustainable and resilient agricultural production and value chains. The project is expected to reach about 562,000 beneficiaries, including women, ex-combatants, indigenous people, youth, and people with disabilities. Specifically, the project will bring 25,000 hectares under sustainable and resilient agriculture practices and 1.2 million hectares under sustainable landscape management practices. Over 23,000 people are expected to benefit from livelihood activities in agriculture, community forestry, non-timber forest products, and ecotourism.

The Skills Development for Employability (PDCE) P128628 of $25.00 million aims to promote the acquisition of employment and entrepreneurial skills for 10,000 vulnerable young men and women living in the urban and peri-urban areas of Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire in 29 promising Key growth sectors for the Congolese economy. To date, 5,163 young people have benefited from this free training; by the end of the project on June 30, 2023, with additional funding, it is expected that 5,000 other vulnerable young men and women will receive the training. One survey shows that 63.4% of men and 54.1% of women secured paid employment or were self-employed five to eight months after their training.

Education Sector Support Project (PRASEED) P152910 of $30.00 million to improve education outcomes of primary and lower secondary school children and to increase the effectiveness of select management systems. The Project supports the revision of education programs for primary and lower secondary being rolled out during this school year, including teacher training, provision of teaching and learning materials, establishment of a biometric database for teachers, and the annual school census. To support learning continuity during COVID, funding initially allocated for textbooks was provided to the production/distribution of activity workbooks and leaflets. PRASEED is also scheduled to end on June 30, 2023.

The Commercial Agriculture Development Project (PDAC) P159979 of $100 million aimed at improving the productivity of farmers and their access to markets. The project’s achievements since becoming effective on April 30, 2018, include:

• 946 business plans of producer groups/cooperatives and micro, small, and medium agribusiness enterprises (MSMEs) financed through matching grants.
• Rehabilitation and maintenance of 1,556 kilometers of agricultural/rural roads (including bridges construction) to facilitate supply of agriculture commodities to markets.
• Construction of integrated agricultural facilities, including irrigation systems.
• Rural electrification.
• Waterways - along the Libenga, Motaba (Likouala), and Ndeko rivers opened or cleared to facilitate supply of agriculture commodities to markets.
• Institutional and technical capacity building and support.

The COVID-19 Emergency Response Project (PRUC) P173851 of $64.98 million aims to prevent, detect, and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19. Among other things, it has enabled the purchase of 933,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

The Health System Strengthening Project – KOBIKISA P167890 of $50 million – aims to improve the provision and quality of maternal and child health services for the most disadvantaged households. Its objectives are as follows:

• the assessment and upgrading of more than 1,158 health facilities.
• the implementation of a certification system before the project closes.
• the purchase of medicines.
• the availability of stocks of blood and other blood products.

Last Updated: Mar 30, 2023

The World Bank Group, China, the European Union, Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and the African Development Bank (AfDB) are the main financial partners of the Republic of Congo. They are all working to promote economic diversification, improve the business environment, develop the health and education sectors, and strengthen social protection. The various United Nations agencies and the Regional Development Bank of Central African States (BDEAC) are also active in the country.    

Last Updated: Mar 30, 2023