Quick facts
Kikwit overview
Kikwit (orange) and the other large cities of DR Congo
Kikwit lies in Kwilu in DR Congo at 5.04°S, 18.82°E, about 466 m above sea level. The local time zone is Africa/Kinshasa (UTC+1).
It is smaller than Tshikapa (634,529) and larger than Mbandaka (455,011). The largest city in DR Congo is Kinshasa with 16,000,000 people; the capital, Kinshasa, has 16,000,000.
The national capital, Kinshasa, is about 396 km away.
DR Congo as a whole has a live population of 117,501,247 (+3.1% a year) and ranks #15 of 238 countries — see the DR Congo population page for the full statistics and the DR Congo atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Largest cities in DR Congo
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KinshasaCapital | Kinshasa | 16,000,000 |
| 2 | Lubumbashi | Haut-Katanga | 2,221,925 |
| 3 | Mbuji-Mayi | East Kasai | 2,101,332 |
| 4 | Kisangani | Tshopo | 1,602,144 |
| 5 | Kananga | Kasai-Central | 1,271,704 |
| 6 | Bukavu | South Kivu | 816,811 |
| 7 | Kolwezi | Lualaba | 790,248 |
| 8 | Likasi | Haut-Katanga | 635,768 |
| 9 | Tshikapa | Kasai | 634,529 |
| 10 | Kikwit | Kwilu | 509,367 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Kikwit?
Kikwit has about 509,367 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Kikwit the capital of DR Congo?
No. The capital of DR Congo is Kinshasa (16,000,000 people), about 396 km away. Kikwit is the 10th largest city of the country.
How big is Kikwit compared with the rest of DR Congo?
Its 509,367 residents are 0.4% of the 117,501,247 people living in DR Congo today. Kinshasa is larger with 16,000,000 people.
Where is Kikwit?
In Kwilu, DR Congo, at latitude -5.04 and longitude 18.82, 466 m above sea level.
Explore more
Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Kikwit Population 2026 — DR Congo. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/dr-congo/kikwit/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/dr-congo/kikwit/">Kikwit Population 2026 — DR Congo</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.