Quick facts
Tshikapa overview
Tshikapa (orange) and the other large cities of DR Congo
Tshikapa lies in Kasai in DR Congo at 6.42°S, 20.8°E, about 484 m above sea level. The local time zone is Africa/Lubumbashi (UTC+2); GeoNames classifies it as a district seat.
It is smaller than Likasi (635,768) and larger than Kikwit (509,367). 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 650 km away; the nearest large city is Kananga, 188 km from Tshikapa.
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.
Cities near Tshikapa
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Kananga Kasai-Central | 188 km | 1,271,704 |
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 Tshikapa?
Tshikapa has about 634,529 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Tshikapa the capital of DR Congo?
No. The capital of DR Congo is Kinshasa (16,000,000 people), about 650 km away. Tshikapa is the 9th largest city of the country and a district seat.
How big is Tshikapa compared with the rest of DR Congo?
Its 634,529 residents are 0.5% of the 117,501,247 people living in DR Congo today. Kinshasa is larger with 16,000,000 people.
Where is Tshikapa?
In Kasai, DR Congo, at latitude -6.42 and longitude 20.8, 484 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Kananga (188 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Tshikapa Population 2026 — DR Congo. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/dr-congo/tshikapa/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/dr-congo/tshikapa/">Tshikapa 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.