Using a local agent is the fastest way to deploy a sales force in the DRC. Local agents bring experience, a portfolio of customers, and knowledge of the local market. The Economic and Commercial Section. The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo declined drastically in the years leading up to and during the and, despite being home to vast potential in natural resources and wealth; its The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo declined drastically in the years leading up to and during the and, despite being home to vast potential in natural resources and wealth; its is $79.12 billion as of 2025. During the last five reported years, the exports of the have changed by $15.2B from $13.3B in 2017 to $28.5B in 2022. Since 2003, the DRC's economy has gradually grown, but it remains one of the poorest countries in the world. At the time of its independence in 1960, the Democratic Republic of the Congo was the second most industrialized country in Africa after. It had a thriving mining sector, and its agriculture sector was rela. • • • • • • The two recent conflicts (the and ), which began in 1996, have dramatically reduced national output and government revenue, have increased external debt, and have resulted in the deaths of more than five million people from war and associated and disease. affects approximately two-thirds of the country's population. is the mainstay of the, accounting for 57.9% of in 1997. In 1996, agriculture employed 66% of the workforce. Rich in minerals, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has a difficult history of predatory, which has been at the heart of many struggles within the country for many decades, but particularly in the 1990s. The economy of the second largest country in relies heavily on mining. However, much economic activity occurs in the and is not reflected in data. In 2006, ranked the Democratic Republic of the Congo 156 out of 163 countries in the, tying,, and with a 2.0 rating. established the Commission of Repression of Economic Crimes upon his ascension to power in 2001. The conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were over water, minerals, and other resources. Political agendas have worsened the economy, as in times of crisis, the elite benefit while the general populace suffers. This is worsened as a result of corrupt national and international corporations. The corporations instigate and allow the fighting for resources because they benefit from it. A large proportion of fatalities in the country are attributed to a lack of basic services, recognized as "communicable, maternal, perinatal, and nutritional conditions," which account for 56% of deaths by broad caus. Forced labor (slavery) was important for the rural sector. The corporations that dominated the economy were mostly owned by, but capital also played an important role. The 1950s were a period of rising income and expectations. Congo was said to have the best public health system in Africa, but there was also a huge wealth disparity. Belgian companies favored workers in certain areas more and exported them to work in different areas, restricting opportunities for others. Favored groups also received better education and were able to secure jobs for people in the same ethnic group, which increased tensions. In 1960 there were only 16 university graduates out of a population of 20 million. still had economic power, and independence gave little opportunity for improvement. Common refrains included "no elite, no trouble" and "before independence = after independence." When the Belgians left, most of the government officials and educated residents left with them. Before independence, there were just 3 out of 5000 government jobs held by Congolese people. The resulting loss of institutional knowledge and human capital crippled the government.After the, Ongoing conflicts dramatically reduced government and increased external debt. As Reyntjens wrote, "Entrepreneurs of insecurity are engaged in extractive activities that would be impossible in a stable state environment. The criminalization context in which these activities occur offers avenues for considerable factional and personal enrichment through the trafficking of arms, illegal drugs, toxic products, mineral resources and dirty money." Ethnic rivalries were made worse because of economic interests and and coltan smuggling took place. Illegal formed in the country where they used forced labor for children to mine or work as soldiers. National parks were overrun with people looking to exploit minerals and resources. Increased poverty and hunger from the war increased the hunting of rare wildlife. Education was denied when the country was under foreign control, and very few people made money off the minerals in the country. The national resources are not the root cause of the continued fighting in the region; however, the competition has become an incentive to keep fighting. The DRC's level of economic freedom is one of the lowest in the world, putting it in the repressed category. The armed militias fight with the government in the eastern section of the country over the mining sector or the corruption of the government, and weak policies lead to the instability of the economy. abuses also ruin economic activity; the DRC has a 7% unemployment rate but still has one of the lowest GDPs per capita in the world. A major problem for people trying to start their own companies is that the minimum amount of capital needed to launch the company is five times the average annual income, and prices are regulated by the government, which almost forces people to have to work for the larger, more corrupt businesses; otherwise, they won't have work. It is hard for the DRC to encourage foreign trade because of the regulatory barriers.
