- Country
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Ministry responsible
- Ministry of Justice
- Prison administration
- Directorate of Penitentiary Services
- Contact address
-
Place de l'Indépendance, Commune de Gombe, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
Congo - Kinshasa - Telephone
- Head of prison administration
-
Ngoma Madiki, Director of Prisons
Prison population data
| Prison population total (including pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners) |
44,536
at December 2022 (national prison administration, via Avocats Sans Frontières)
|
|---|---|
| Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
46
based on an estimated national population of 96.58 million at December 2022 (from United Nations figures)
|
| Pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
Circac. 70.0%
(December 2022)
|
| Female prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
2.3%
(26.10 2021)
|
| Juveniles / minors / young prisoners incl. definition (percentage of prison population) |
2.3%
(26.10 2021)
|
| Number of establishments / institutions |
142
(2022)
|
| Official capacity of prison system |
7,070
(26.10.2021 - capacity of the ‘priority prisons’)
|
| Occupancy level (based on official capacity) |
322.8%
(26.10.2021 - occupancy of the ‘priority prisons’)
|
Prison population trend
| Year | Prison population total | Prison population rate |
|---|---|---|
| c. 30,000 | c. 58 | |
| c. 22,000 | c. 35 | |
| c. 20,550 | c. 29 |
Prison population total
Prison population rate
Pre-trial/remand prison population: trend
The table below gives an indication of the recent trend in the pre-trial/remand prison population. The final row shows the latest figures available.
It consists of the number of pre-trial/remand prisoners in the prison population on a single date in the year (or the annual average) and the percentage of the total prison population that pre-trial/remand prisoners constituted on that day.
The final column shows the pre-trial/remand population rate per 100,000 of the national population.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
| Year | Number in pre-trial/remand imprisonment | Percentage of total prison population | Pre-trial/remand population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
| 2010 2015 | c. 18,000 c. 15,000 | c. 82% c. 73% | 29 21 |
| 2022 | c. 31,175 | c. 70% | c. 32 |
It should be noted that the number of pre-trial/remand prisoners fluctuates from day to day, month to month and year to year. Consequently the above figures give an indication of the trend but the picture is inevitably incomplete.
The pre-trial/remand population rate is calculated on the basis of the national population total. All national population figures are inevitably estimates but the estimates used in the World Prison Brief are based on official national figures, United Nations figures or figures from other recognised international authorities.
Female prison population: trend
The table below gives an indication of the trend in the female prison population. The final row shows the latest figures available.
It consists of the number of female prisoners in the prison population on a single date in the year (or the annual average) and the percentage of the total prison population that female prisoners constituted on that day.
The final column shows the female prison population rate per 100,000 of the national population.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
| Year | Number of female prisoners | Percentage of total prison population | Female prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
| 2004 2008 2010 | 83* 130* c. 600 | 3.2%* 3.0%* c. 2.7% | - - 1.0 |
| 2021 | 528 | 2.3% | 0.6 |
*These figures are for the main prisons only. Full figures are not available
The number of female prisoners fluctuates and so the above figures give an indication of the trend but the picture is inevitably incomplete.
The female prison population rate is calculated on the basis of the national population total. All national population figures are inevitably estimates but the estimates used in the World Prison Brief are based on official national figures, United Nations figures or figures from other recognised international authorities.
(If the rate were calculated on the basis of the number of females in the national population it would of course be approximately double the figure in the final column.)
Can you donate to support the WPB?
We receive no external funding for our work in sourcing and compiling prison populations data, hosting the WPB website and keeping it regularly updated with the most recent information available. To help sustain this unique, open access resource
