How many ethnic groups live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?

There are more than 200 African ethnic groups living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.1

The vast majority of the population belongs to Bantu peoples, who established various historical kingdoms across the region. Other groups include the Pygmies—considered the earliest inhabitants of the Congo basin—as well as various Adamawa-Ubangi, Sudanic, and Nilotic peoples. Additionally, the country is home to migrant populations of European and Asian descent, as well as Africans of other nationalities.1