The Democratic Republic of the Congo is preparing its first national census since 1984, when the country was still known as Zaire. Authorities say the exercise will provide data for planning public services, while many residents see it as a chance to be officially recognised by the state.
In Bunia, the capital of northeastern Ituri province, 28-year-old Heritier Ramazani says he has never appeared in a census and has no official document confirming his Congolese citizenship. For him, registration and an identity card would represent recognition as much as administration.
At a glance:
- Last census: 1984, 42 years before the planned new count.
- Estimated population: about 112 million, according to the World Bank.
- Estimated annual population growth: roughly 3.2 percent.
- First phase: digital mapping of inhabited areas before household data collection.
| 1984 census | Current census preparation | |
|---|---|---|
| Country name | Zaire | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Data collection approach | The source does not specify the method | Digital mapping followed by data collection using tablets and smartphones |
| Timing | Conducted in 1984 | Authorities are preparing the exercise 42 years later |
Identity remains a central concern
Millions of people in the DRC have grown up without official documents confirming their identity. In Bunia, years of violence and displacement in Ituri have added to the difficulty of accessing state records.
Related coverage: Unpaid Ebola health workers walk out in DR Congo’s Ituri province.
National identity cards have not been widely available for decades, and voter registration cards have often been among the few widely accepted forms of identification. Gedeon Katembo, a 36-year-old father of three, said he hopes the census will help establish a stronger system for issuing identity documents. The source does not say that the census itself will issue those documents.
How the count is being organised
The exercise will start with a digital mapping phase. Teams will identify and geolocate inhabited places before the main household census begins, using tablets and smartphones rather than paper forms, according to Henri Marie Kazadi of the Central Census Office at the National Institute of Statistics.
The Ministry of Planning, through the National Institute of Statistics and the Central Census Office, began recruiting field workers in June for the mapping phase. The DRC covers more than 2.3 million square kilometres, and poor roads, limited infrastructure and insecurity could make access difficult.
Conflict and political sensitivity
Armed groups remain active in parts of eastern DRC, where displacement could make it difficult to interview people in their communities. Activist Muyisa Hangi Christophe said state authority is not effectively established across the entire national territory and that mass displacement poses a major challenge to the count.
The census is also being prepared as general elections are expected in 2028. Opposition figures and civil society groups have expressed concern that population figures could become contested over representation and governance. The government rejects claims that the exercise has political motives, describing it as routine planning work.
What reliable figures could change
Development analyst Maneno Kakule Ndavugha said accurate population data could help authorities decide where schools, hospitals, roads, water systems and electricity projects are most needed. The government’s stated purpose is to replace estimates with more reliable information for public-service planning.
For residents such as Ramazani and Katembo, the meaning is more personal. Being included in official records would address a long-standing absence of documentation and recognition, even as the practical reach of the census will depend on whether teams can access communities affected by conflict and displacement.
Questions readers ask
When was the DRC’s previous census?
It was conducted in 1984, when the country was known as Zaire.
Will the census automatically provide identity cards?
The source says residents hope it will strengthen identity-document systems, but it does not state that the census will automatically issue identity cards.
Why could the census be difficult to complete?
Poor roads, limited infrastructure, insecurity and population displacement could prevent teams from reaching or interviewing every community.
Related coverage:
No comments yet. Start the discussion.