Democratic Republic of Congo is reaping economic benefits from its position as world's dominant cobalt supplier, but increasing dependence on single commodity is raising familiar questions about long-term resilience.
In 2024, DRC economy grew by 6.5 percent, driven by 12.8 percent expansion in extractive sector, particularly copper and cobalt production. Non-mining sectors grew by 3.2 percent. Inflation fell to 11.3 percent and Congolese franc depreciated 8.7 percent against US dollar.
In 2025, mining output moderated slightly to 10.1 percent growth, supported by strong copper production despite temporary cobalt export ban imposed from February to October 2025. Inflation decelerated sharply to 7.5 percent, down from 17.7 percent in 2024.
Cobalt production numbers are striking. DRC is estimated to account for around 72 percent of global cobalt output in 2025. Cobalt mine output is projected to grow further by 4.4 percent to reach 247.7 kilotonnes in 2026, driven by ramp-up of Musonoi underground project which started production in September 2025.
Recent projections indicate DRC GDP reaching 123 billion dollars in 2026, positioning it as Sub-Saharan Africa's fifth-largest economy.
But structural risk is real. Battery suppliers and automakers are already looking to diversify cobalt sources and investing in battery technologies that reduce or eliminate need for cobalt. While DRC will continue to benefit in near term, this advantage could be short-lived.
