The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the largest geographically and mineral rich countries of the entire continent. Nonetheless, it remains one of the most unstable states from a political and economic point of view, especially due to the prolonged conflicts that have involved the country since the 1990s. Although a slight economic growth is expected in the coming years based mainly on the export of minerals such as copper and cobalt, the weaknesses of the country remain strong. The DRC is among the five poorest nations in the world. In 2018, 73% of Congolese, around 60 million people, lived on less than $ 1.90 a day. About one in six people living in extreme poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The medium-term outlook for the DRC is favorable with 6.4% growth in 2023. The mining sector is expected to expand further in 2022 and accelerate by 2024 when the Kamoa-Kakula copper mine enters its second production phase . However, the DRC economy remains vulnerable to commodity price movements and the growth performance of its major trading partners, which could be affected by geopolitical conflicts and new waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo ranks 164 out of 174 countries in the 2020 Human Capital Index. The Human Capital Index of the DRC is 0.37, lower than the Sub-Saharan African average of 0.4 . The main factors contributing to the low score are the high mortality rate of children under 5, and the low quality of education.
The Italian contribution
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, AICS supports a bilateral emergency project and two initiatives with Bando Profit. The emergency project, managed by the World Food Program (WFP) is part of the initiatives to improve access to basic services. The initiative, entitled Maternal and Child Health, Hygiene and Protection of the Most Vulnerable Persons Victims of the Crisis in the DRC, aims to assist the poorest segments of the population.
As for the Profit Calls, the following initiatives are active:
- Energy with reduced environmental impact (ERIA), managed by Three Energy Esco S.r.l. (Tee S.r.l.)
- Rent a Boo - Adopt a bamboo, managed by Lisante Bamboo S.r.l.
