Quick facts
Mbandaka overview
Mbandaka (orange) and the other large cities of DR Congo
Mbandaka lies in Équateur in DR Congo at 0.05°N, 18.26°E, about 315 m above sea level. The local time zone is Africa/Kinshasa (UTC+1); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Kikwit (509,367) and larger than Matadi (425,662). 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 586 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 Mbandaka?
Mbandaka has about 455,011 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Mbandaka the capital of DR Congo?
No. The capital of DR Congo is Kinshasa (16,000,000 people), about 586 km away. Mbandaka is the 11th largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Mbandaka compared with the rest of DR Congo?
Its 455,011 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 Mbandaka?
In Équateur, DR Congo, at latitude 0.05 and longitude 18.26, 315 m above sea level.
Explore more
Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Mbandaka Population 2026 — DR Congo. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/dr-congo/mbandaka/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/dr-congo/mbandaka/">Mbandaka 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.