Kinshasa se naam het net een keer verander, hoewel die land om die beurt die Kongo-Vrystaat van 1885 tot 1908, die Belgiese Kongo van 1908 tot 1960, die Demokratiese Republiek die Kongo van 1960 tot 1971, die Republiek van [[Zaïre]] van 1971 tot 1997 en uiteindelik weer die [[Demokratiese Republiek die Kongo]] van 1997 tot die hede was.
Die bevolking word tans (2017) op byna 12 miljoen geraam, wat van Kinshasa [[Afrika]] se derde grootste stad ná [[Kaïro]] en [[Lagos]] maak.<ref>{{en}} {{cite web |url=http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf |title=DemographiaWorld Urban Areas – 13th Annual Edition |publisher=Demographia |format=PDF |date=April 2017 |accessdateaccess-date=16 Oktober 2018 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200518172922/http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf |archive-date=18 Mei 2020 |url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Dit is ook die grootste Franssprekende stad ter wêreld, net groter as [[Parys]].<ref>{{en}} {{cite web |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/citypops.htm |title=Populations Of 150 Largest Cities In The World |last= |first= |date=7 Maart 2016 |website=World Atlas |publisher= |accessdateaccess-date=16 Oktober 2018 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430122743/https://www.worldatlas.com/citypops.htm |archive-date=30 April 2020 |url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{en}} {{cite web |url=http://esa.un.org/unpd/wup/CD-ROM/WUP2011-F11a-30_Largest_Cities.xls |title=Time series of the population of the 30 largest urban agglomerations in 2011 ranked by population size, 1950–2025 |publisher=United Nations, Population Division |format=XLS |accessdateaccess-date=25 Junie 2012 |url-statuslanguage=deaden |archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/2012070405112620131023060538/http://esa.un.org/unpd/wup/CD-ROM/WUP2011-F11a-30_Largest_Cities.xls |archivedatearchive-date=23 4Oktober Julie 20122013 |url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> In 1956 was die bevolking slegs 300 000, waarvan 17 000 blank was. Frans is die belangrikste taal van die regering, skole, koerante, openbare dienste en hoë-end-handel in die stad, terwyl [[Lingala]] as 'n ''[[lingua franca]]'' in die strate gebruik word.<ref>{{en}} {{cite book |url=https://books.google.de/books?id=Le_8WMk1Pr4C&lpg=PA111&dq=french+lingala+kinshasa&pg=PA103&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=Globalization and Language Vitality: Perspectives from Africa, bl. 103 & 109 |author=Cécile B. Vigouroux & Salikoko S. Mufwene |accessdate=16 Oktober 2018 |isbn=978-0-8264-9515-0 |year=2008}}</ref>
