What is the population of Kinshasa?
Kinshasa has a city population of 16,000,000. That is the population within the city's own boundary, not its wider metropolitan area. City population, GeoNames.
Capital city · DR Congo · Africa
Kinshasa
City population
16,000,000
#1
in DR Congo
#1
in Kinshasa
#5
worldwide
-4.328, 15.314
About Kinshasa
Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is home to 16,000,000 people within city proper boundaries, making it one of Africa's largest urban centers. The metropolitan area reaches 17,071,000 residents and expands at 4.1% annually, reflecting sustained demographic growth. At 1,713 people per km², the city maintains substantial density across its territory.
Established in 1881, Kinshasa sits at an elevation of 281 m. The city is served by Ndjili International Airport (FIH), which provides regional and international connectivity.
This summary is AI-generated from the figures on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.
Metro population
17,071,000
0.206% of world population
Archive estimateAnnual growth
+4.10%
Archive estimateDensity
1,713/km²
9,965 km² metro area
Key Facts
Country
Region
Kinshasa
Rank in region
#1of 2
Founded
1881
Coordinates
-4.328, 15.314
Record updated
29 November 2023
Entry edited, not measured
City population, GeoNames. GeoNames publishes no year for its population figures, so “record updated” is when the entry was last edited — not the date the population was measured. Elevation is modelled from a digital elevation model rather than surveyed, so it is approximate.
Nearby Cities
All 114 in DR CongoClosest listed cities by great-circle distance from the city centre.
Compared with the World's Largest Cities
City-proper population against the fifteen largest cities in the dataset.
| Name | City population |
|---|---|
| Shanghai | 24.9M |
| Beijing | 19M |
| Shenzhen | 17.5M |
| Guangzhou | 16.1M |
| Kinshasa | 16M |
| Istanbul | 15.7M |
| Lagos | 15.4M |
| Ho Chi Minh City | 14M |
| Chengdu | 13.6M |
| Lahore | 13M |
| Mumbai | 12.7M |
| São Paulo | 12.4M |
| Mexico City | 12.3M |
| Karachi | 11.6M |
| Tianjin | 11.1M |
Airports
Scheduled-service airports within 100 km, nearest first.
- Ndjili International AirportFIH
16 km from the city centre
Source: OurAirports, matched by distance.
Population Trend in DR Congo
No free source publishes city population back to 1950, so the parent country's series is shown instead.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 12,294,287 |
| 1960 | 15,264,846 |
| 1970 | 20,137,436 |
| 1980 | 26,711,099 |
| 1990 | 36,684,063 |
| 2000 | 50,507,442 |
| 2010 | 68,563,038 |
| 2020 | 95,989,998 |
| 2030 | 131,532,201 |
| 2040 | 172,595,582 |
| 2050 | 218,246,072 |
| 2060 | 266,679,133 |
| 2070 | 314,382,310 |
| 2080 | 358,920,647 |
| 2090 | 398,480,921 |
| 2100 | 430,709,445 |
Kinshasa Population FAQ
Where is Kinshasa?
Kinshasa is in Kinshasa, DR Congo. Its coordinates are -4.328, 15.314.
How big is Kinshasa compared with other cities in DR Congo?
It is the 1st largest of the 114 cities listed in DR Congo, holding 14.2% of the national population.