Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Democratic Republic of Congo

Democratic Republic of Congo: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 53.6% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
53.6%
World rank
28th
of 72 countries
All-time high
53.6%
in 2018
All-time low
23.8%
in 1995
Years of data
6
1995–2018

Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1995–2018

02040601995200620181995: 23.8 % of children under 6 months2001: 23.8 % of children under 6 months2007: 35.8 % of children under 6 months2010: 36.4 % of children under 6 months2014: 47.3 % of children under 6 months2018: 53.6 % of children under 6 months

Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children under 6 months.

Analysis

The most recent figure for exclusive breastfeeding rate in Democratic Republic of Congo is 53.6%, measured in 2018. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 49.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, exclusive breastfeeding rate in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 53.6% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 23.8%, in 1995.

That places Democratic Republic of Congo 28th out of 72 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 23.8% 23.8% 23.8% 1
2000s 29.8% 23.8% 35.8% 2
2010s 45.8% 36.4% 53.6% 3

Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo

  1. 25 Philippines 54.9% compare
  2. 26 Sierra Leone 54.0% compare
  3. 27 Gambia 53.6% compare
  4. 29 Guatemala 53.2% compare
  5. 30 Indonesia 50.7% compare
  6. 31 Madagascar 50.6% compare

See the full ranking of 72 places →

More reference data data for Democratic Republic of Congo

All data for Democratic Republic of Congo →

Frequently asked questions

What is exclusive breastfeeding rate in Democratic Republic of Congo?
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Democratic Republic of Congo was 53.6% in 2018, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
The highest recorded value was 53.6% in 2018.
What is the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
The lowest recorded value was 23.8% in 1995.
How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for exclusive breastfeeding rate?
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 28th out of 72 countries with data for 2018.
Is exclusive breastfeeding rate rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
Over the last ten years it is up 49.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Exclusive breastfeeding rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Exclusive breastfeeding rate
Unit
% of children under 6 months
Source
Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
72 places, 509 data points, 1986–2020
Last refreshed

The share of infants less than six months old who were fed only with breast milk in the past 24 hours. WHO and UNICEF recommend that children be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life – meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water.