Democratic Republic of the Congo
FSCI Indicators Breakdown
The Food Systems Countdown Initiative (FSCI) is a collaborative interdisciplinary effort to monitor global food systems. The FSCI developed a framework that includes five themes: (1) diets, nutrition, and health; (2) environment, natural resources, and production; (3) livelihoods, poverty, and equity; (4) governance; and (5) resilience and identified 50 indicators across these themes. This page presents national level data for these 50 indicators for Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Democratic Republic of the Congo income group: Low Income
Comparison
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Central or Middle Africa
World
Diets, Nutrition, and Health
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Democratic Republic of the Congo
3.32
Central or Middle Africa
3.35
World
3.32
PPP dollar/capita/day
Cost of a healthy diet per capita
3.32 PPP dollar/capita/day
Per-person cost of the least expensive locally available foods to meet daily needs, based on food-based dietary guidelines
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Democratic Republic of the Congo
92%
Central or Middle Africa
79%
World
37%
Percent of the population who cannot afford a healthy diet
92%
Share of the population whose food budget is less than the cost of a healthy diet
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Democratic Republic of the Congo
161.2
Central or Middle Africa
233.3
World
256.7
g/capita/day
Availability of fruits
161.2 g/capita/day
Amount of fruits—an underconsumed yet highly nutritious food group—available in a country’s food supply per capita per day
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Democratic Republic of the Congo
19.9
Central or Middle Africa
99
World
278.9
g/capita/day
Availability of vegetables
19.9 g/capita/day
Amount of vegetables—an underconsumed yet highly nutritious food group—available in a country’s food supply per capita per day
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Democratic Republic of the Congo
1%
Central or Middle Africa
4%
World
68%
Percent of the population using safely managed drinking water services
1%
Share of the population that gets drinking water from an improved source, providing the clean water essential for food security (SDG 6.1.1)
2022
Democratic Republic of the Congo
0
Central or Middle Africa
0.1
World
155.1
current PPP dollar/capita/year
Retail value (total sales) of ultra-processed foods per capita
0 current PPP dollar/capita/year
Annual perperson sales of ultra-processed foods, which are known to be associated with poor health outcomes
2017
Central or Middle Africa
55%
World
66%
MDD-W: Minimum dietary diversity for women
No Data
Share of women who consumed at least the minimum recommended food groups the previous day, which makes it more likely they consume adequate micronutrients
Central or Middle Africa
26%
World
39%
All-5: Consumption of all five food groups
No Data
Share of the adult population consuming all five food groups typically recommended for daily consumption
Central or Middle Africa
3.3
World
3.8
NCD-Protect
No Data
Average score for adults on an indicator of dietary practices protective against noncommunicable diseases, like eating enough fiber, on a scale from 0 to 9
Central or Middle Africa
1.7
World
2.1
NCD-Risk
No Data
Average score for adults on an indicator of dietary practices known to raise the risk of noncommunicable diseases, like eating too much sugar, on a scale from 0 to 9
Central or Middle Africa
15%
World
11%
Adults: Zero fruit or vegetable consumption
No Data
Share of adults who did not consume any fruits or vegetables the previous day
Central or Middle Africa
19%
World
19%
Adults: Soft drink consumption
No Data
Share of adults who consumed a sugar-sweetened soft drink, which are generally known to be unhealthy, during the previous day
Democratic Republic of the Congo
35%
Central or Middle Africa
28%
World
11%
POU: Prevalence of undernourishment
35%
Share of the population that goes hungry—that is, lacks enough calories for a healthy, active life (SDG 2.1.1)
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Democratic Republic of the Congo
72%
Central or Middle Africa
71%
World
29%
Percent of the population experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity
72%
Share of the population experiencing food insecurity, measured according to the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) (SDG 2.1.2)
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Democratic Republic of the Congo
15%
Central or Middle Africa
18%
World
32%
MDD (IYCF): Minimum dietary diversity for infants and young children
15%
Share of young children who consumed at least the minimum recommended food groups the previous day, which makes it more likely they consume adequate micronutrients
2017
Source: UNICEF
Democratic Republic of the Congo
28
Central or Middle Africa
35
World
39
% population 6-23 months
Children (6-23 months): Zero fruit or vegetable consumption
28% population 6-23 months
Share of young children who did not consume any fruits or vegetables the previous day
2017
Source: UNICEF
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Environment, natural resources, and production
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Democratic Republic of the Congo
110%
Central or Middle Africa
87%
World
63%
Cropland nitrogen use efficiency
110%
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Democratic Republic of the Congo
0.1
Central or Middle Africa
0.1
World
0.4
tonnes/ha
Cereals yield
0.1 tonnes/ha
Yield, or production per unit area (tonnes per hectare)—an indicator of how efficient production is
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Democratic Republic of the Congo
0.5
Central or Middle Africa
0.8
World
1.4
tonnes/ha
Fruit yield
0.5 tonnes/ha
Yield, or production per unit area (tonnes per hectare)—an indicator of how efficient production is
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Democratic Republic of the Congo
0.7
Central or Middle Africa
0.6
World
2
tonnes/ha
Vegetable yield
0.7 tonnes/ha
Yield, or production per unit area (tonnes per hectare)—an indicator of how efficient production is
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Democratic Republic of the Congo
8,938
Central or Middle Africa
3,464.1
World
22,628.8
100 g/animal
Cow's milk yield
8,938 100 g/animal
Yield, or production per animal (100 g per animal)—an indicator of how efficient production is
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Democratic Republic of the Congo
157.7
Central or Middle Africa
132.8
World
221
kg/animal
Beef yield
157.7 kg/animal
Yield, or production per animal (100 g per animal)—an indicator of how efficient production is
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Democratic Republic of the Congo
14.5
Central or Middle Africa
12.4
World
21.2
Fishery health index progress score
14.5
An indicator summarizing the availability and sustainability of fish, which are at risk of overfishing or environmental degradation
2021
Source: Minderoo Foundation
Democratic Republic of the Congo
667,813.6
Central or Middle Africa
111,081
World
83,692.6
kT CO2eq
Agri-food systems greenhouse gas emissions
667,813.6 kT CO2eq
Democratic Republic of the Congo
0.2
Central or Middle Africa
0.2
World
0.2
kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions intensity for cereals (excluding rice)
0.2 kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions (kg CO2 equivalents) per kilogram produced of cereals (excluding rice)
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Democratic Republic of the Congo
0.8
Central or Middle Africa
1.1
World
1.1
kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions intensity for rice
0.8 kg CO2eq/kg product
Democratic Republic of the Congo
2.1
Central or Middle Africa
5.7
World
1
kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions intensity for cow's milk
2.1 kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions (kg CO2 equivalents) per kilogram produced of cow's milk
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Democratic Republic of the Congo
90.5
Central or Middle Africa
77.6
World
28.3
kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions intensity for beef
90.5 kg CO2eq/kg product
Democratic Republic of the Congo
2
Central or Middle Africa
1
World
0
% change
Cropland area change
2% change
Average percentage change in cropland over the previous five years; expanding cropland is a major driver of biodiversity and ecosystem service loss and greenhouse gas emissions
2021
Source: FSCI
Democratic Republic of the Congo
63
Central or Middle Africa
58
World
43
% agricultural land
Functional integrity: Agricultural land with minimum level of natural habitat
63% agricultural land
Percentage of agricultural land area with enough semi-natural or natural habitat, relative to the amount of cropland or rangeland, to maintain biodiversity and functioning ecosystems
2015
Source: DeClerck et al. 2021
Democratic Republic of the Congo
0%
Central or Middle Africa
0%
World
17%
Agriculture water withdrawal as percent of total renewable water resources
0%
Water withdrawn for irrigation each year, as a percentage of the total renewable water resources available
2020
Source: AQUASTAT
Democratic Republic of the Congo
0.1
Central or Middle Africa
0.3
World
2.3
kg/ha
Pesticide use per area of cropland
0.1 kg/ha
The use of pesticides per area of cropland (kg active ingredient per hectare); pesticide use can cause pollution and harm health
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Livelihoods, Poverty, and Equity
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Democratic Republic of the Congo
18
Central or Middle Africa
15
World
4
% GDP
Share of agriculture in GDP
18% GDP
Percentage of a country’s GDP derived from agriculture, a measure of the level of economic development of the country
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Democratic Republic of the Congo
0
Central or Middle Africa
1
World
4
% working age population
Unemployment rate (Rural)
0% working age population
Central or Middle Africa
5
World
6
% working age population
Underemployment rate (Rural)
No Data
Percentage of working-age people in rural areas who are underemployed (i.e., worked fewer hours than expected)
Source: ILO
Democratic Republic of the Congo
11
Central or Middle Africa
10
World
58
% population
Social protection coverage
11% population
Percentage of people who live in households that benefit from social protection programs, like cash transfers and health insurance
2012
Source: World Bank
Democratic Republic of the Congo
38
Central or Middle Africa
35
World
23
% welfare of beneficiary households
Social protection adequacy
38% welfare of beneficiary households
An indicator showing the extent to which social protection is sufficient to meet household needs
2012
Source: World Bank
Democratic Republic of the Congo
9
Central or Middle Africa
15
World
8
% children 5-17
Percent of children 5-17 years engaged in child labor
9% children 5-17
Percentage of children ages 5–17 who are engaged in child labor, the majority of which is known to be in the food system and specifically in agriculture
2018
Source: UNICEF
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Governance
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Democratic Republic of the Congo
0.4
Central or Middle Africa
0.5
World
0.6
Civil society participation index
0.4
An indicator capturing the level of participation in civil society organizations
2022
Source: Varieties of Democracy
Democratic Republic of the Congo
0%
Central or Middle Africa
9%
World
8%
Percent of the urban population living in cities signed onto the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact
0%
Percentage of the urban population that lives in cities signed on to the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, suggesting prioritization of food issues in urban planning
2020
Degree of legal recognition of the right to food
No Data
Presence of a national food system transformation pathway
No Data
Democratic Republic of the Congo
-1.7
Central or Middle Africa
-1.4
World
0
Government effectiveness index
-1.7
An index capturing the perception of how effective the government is in making and enforcing policies and providing services
2022
Source: World Governance Indicators
Democratic Republic of the Congo
20
Central or Middle Africa
26.6
World
69.5
Food safety capacity
20
Whether functioning mechanisms exist to detect and respond to foodborne disease issues, measured as the percentage of a set of criteria met
2020
Source: WHO Global Health Observatory
Presence of national health-related food environment policies
No Data
Whether the country has any health-related food taxes, which are used to discourage consumption of unhealthy foods
Democratic Republic of the Congo
0.1
Central or Middle Africa
-0
World
0.2
V-Dem accountability index
0.1
An index capturing the extent to which the government is seen as being accountable for its actions
2022
Source: Varieties of Democracy
Democratic Republic of the Congo
42
Central or Middle Africa
34.5
World
43
Open budget index score
42
A score based on how easily the public can access information about how the government raises and spends money
2021
Source: International Budget Partnership
Guarantees for public access to information
No Data
Whether the country has and implements guarantees for access to information (SDG 16.10.2)
Source: Sustainable Development Goals
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Resilience
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Ratio of total damages from all disasters to GDP
No Data
Cost of all damage from natural disasters, as a percentage of GDP
Source: EM-DAT
Democratic Republic of the Congo
0.4
Central or Middle Africa
0.5
World
0.7
Dietary sourcing flexibility index
0.4
An index capturing the diversity of pathways through which food reaches consumers, indicating how difficult it is to disrupt the food supply
2019
Source:
FAO
Democratic Republic of the Congo
50.3
Central or Middle Africa
73.8
World
110.1
Number per 100 people
Mobile cellular subscriptions
50.3 Number per 100 people
Number of mobile phone subscriptions as a percentage of the population, indicating the level of infrastructure and access to information to respond to shocks
2022
Democratic Republic of the Congo
0.4
Central or Middle Africa
0.4
World
0.5
Social capital index
0.4
An index for the social capital in the country—how much people feel they can trust and can rely on their government and one another
2021
Source: Legatum InstituteFSCI
Democratic Republic of the Congo
29
Central or Middle Africa
37
World
25
% agricultural land
Proportion of agricultural land with minimum level of species diversity (crop and pasture)
29% agricultural land
Percentage of agricultural land (crop and pasture) containing a sufficient diversity of species, which helps cope with shocks and changes
2020
Source:
Jones et al. 2021
World
163,165.1
Number of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium- or long-term conservation facilities
No Data
Number of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in medium- or long-term conservation facilities (SDG 2.5.1)
Source: FAOSTAT
Democratic Republic of the Congo
0
Central or Middle Africa
0
World
3.8
Number of animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium- or long-term conservation facilities
0
Number of animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in medium- or long-term conservation facilities (SDG 2.5.1)
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Democratic Republic of the Congo
0.4
Central or Middle Africa
0.4
World
0.4
Prevalence of severe coping strategies
0.4
Percentage of high-risk populations who need to rely on extreme strategies to cope with food insecurity
2022
Source:
WFP
Democratic Republic of the Congo
0
Central or Middle Africa
0.6
World
0.7
Food price volatility
0
Democratic Republic of the Congo
26
Central or Middle Africa
24.3
World
32.2
kcal/capita/day
Food supply variability per capita
26 kcal/capita/day
How much the food supply (in calories per person per day) varies over time, indicating how well the food system can respond to shocks
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Less Desirable
More Desirable