Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths in Congo

Congo: Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths was 87,531 children in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
87,531 children
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
25th
of 139 countries
All-time high
87,531 children
in 2024
All-time low
10,523 children
in 1990
Years of data
35
1990–2024

Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths in Congo, 1990–2024

20.0k40.0k60.0k80.0k1990200720241990: 10.5k children1991: 14.0k children1992: 18.0k children1993: 22.5k children1994: 27.5k children1995: 32.5k children1996: 37.6k children1997: 42.2k children1998: 46.6k children1999: 50.9k children2000: 54.8k children2001: 58.6k children2002: 62.0k children2003: 64.7k children2004: 67.1k children2005: 69.0k children2006: 70.1k children2007: 71.2k children2008: 71.8k children2009: 71.4k children2010: 71.4k children2011: 71.6k children2012: 72.4k children2013: 73.8k children2014: 75.2k children2015: 76.8k children2016: 78.1k children2017: 79.8k children2018: 81.5k children2019: 82.8k children2020: 84.1k children2021: 85.4k children2022: 86.3k children2023: 86.8k children2024: 87.5k children

Source: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in children.

Analysis

In 2024, children orphaned due to aids deaths in Congo stood at 87,531 children. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and up 16.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, children orphaned due to aids deaths in Congo peaked at 87,531 children in 2024 and was at its lowest, 10,523 children, in 1990.

That places Congo 25th out of 139 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.

Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths in Congo, year by year

Annual values for Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths in Congo, 1990 to 2024.
Year children Change
1990 10,523 children
1991 14,000 children +33.0%
1992 18,011 children +28.7%
1993 22,522 children +25.0%
1994 27,502 children +22.1%
1995 32,516 children +18.2%
1996 37,588 children +15.6%
1997 42,158 children +12.2%
1998 46,600 children +10.5%
1999 50,860 children +9.1%
2000 54,759 children +7.7%
2001 58,641 children +7.1%
2002 61,988 children +5.7%
2003 64,737 children +4.4%
2004 67,078 children +3.6%
2005 68,983 children +2.8%
2006 70,087 children +1.6%
2007 71,154 children +1.5%
2008 71,831 children +1.0%
2009 71,386 children -0.6%
2010 71,354 children -0.0%
2011 71,616 children +0.4%
2012 72,425 children +1.1%
2013 73,815 children +1.9%
2014 75,185 children +1.9%
2015 76,782 children +2.1%
2016 78,113 children +1.7%
2017 79,766 children +2.1%
2018 81,480 children +2.1%
2019 82,822 children +1.6%
2020 84,119 children +1.6%
2021 85,437 children +1.6%
2022 86,304 children +1.0%
2023 86,849 children +0.6%
2024 87,531 children +0.8%

Congo compared with similar countries

  • Congo's 87,531 children is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 38,246 children, 2.3× the median. (38 countries reporting)
  • Congo's 87,531 children is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 83,352 children, 1.1× the median. (44 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths in Congo changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1991 +33.0% 10,523 children 14,000 children
1992 +28.7% 14,000 children 18,011 children
1993 +25.0% 18,011 children 22,522 children

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 30,228 children 10,523 children 50,860 children 10
2000s 66,065 children 54,759 children 71,831 children 10
2010s 76,336 children 71,354 children 82,822 children 10
2020s 86,048 children 84,119 children 87,531 children 5

Countries ranked near Congo

  1. 22 Mexico 105,364 children compare
  2. 23 Central African Republic 99,195 children compare
  3. 24 Rwanda 87,934 children compare
  4. 26 Guinea 86,173 children compare
  5. 27 Lesotho 80,532 children compare
  6. 28 Vietnam 80,319 children compare

See the full ranking of 139 places →

More reference data data for Congo

All data for Congo →

Frequently asked questions

What is children orphaned due to aids deaths in Congo?
Children orphaned due to aids deaths in Congo was 87,531 children in 2024, according to Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest children orphaned due to aids deaths recorded in Congo?
The highest recorded value was 87,531 children in 2024.
What is the lowest children orphaned due to aids deaths recorded in Congo?
The lowest recorded value was 10,523 children in 1990.
How does Congo rank for children orphaned due to aids deaths?
Congo ranks 25th out of 139 countries with data for 2024.
Is children orphaned due to aids deaths rising or falling in Congo?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Congo data come from?
The figures come from Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths in Congo. Statizoid, drawing on Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/number-of-children-orphaned-from-aids/congo-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths
Unit
children
Source
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
139 places, 4,809 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed

Number of children, aged 17 and under, who have been orphaned by the death of one or both parents from AIDS at any point in their lives. This is the central estimate.