DRC is among the five poorest nations in the world. An estimated 73.5% of Congolese people lived on less than $2.15 a day in 2024. About one in six people living in extreme poverty in SSA live in the DRC.

DRC ranks 164 out of 174 countries on the 2020 Human Capital Index, reflecting decades of conflict and fragility, and constraining development. DRC’s Human Capital Indexis 0.37 which is below the SSA average of 0.4. This means that a Congolese child born today can expect to achieve only 37% of their potential, compared to what would have been possible if they had benefited from a full, quality schooling experience and optimal health conditions. The main contributors to the low score are low child survival rates under age five, high child stunting, and low quality of education.

DRC has one of the highest stunting rates in SSA (42% of children under age five), and malnutrition is the underlying cause of almost half of the deaths of children under the age of five. Unlike other African countries, the prevalence of stunting in the DRC has not decreased over the past 20 years. Due to the very high fertility rate, the number of stunted children has increased by 1.5 million.

Despite significant achievements, the education sector continues to face challenges in access, equity, and quality, especially for girls and children from poor and marginalized households. with modest backgrounds. While gender inequalities in pre-primary and primary education have declined over time, girls are still less likely than boys to attend and complete secondary education.

The rapid expansion of the education sector has unfolded, taking place in an environment characterized by internal inefficiencies and low learning outcomes. A learning crisis at foundational levels, exacerbated by the rapid expansion of primary education, extends into secondary education. This situation, coupled with a young but under-skilled workforce, poses risks to the future productivity of the Congolese economy.