DR Congo launches first census in 42 years

In Bunia, the capital of Ituri province in northeastern DR Congo, Heritier Ramazani, 28, has never been registered in any census and holds no official documents confirming his Congolese nationality. “I have never been registered in a census since birth,” Ramazani said. “Being registered and having an ID card would make me very happy.”

Ramazani’s experience reflects a major challenge in DR Congo, where millions have grown up without official identity papers. The last census was conducted in 1984, when the country was still named Zaire. Since then, DR Congo has endured decades of political turmoil, armed conflict, and rapid population growth. The World Bank estimates the population at around 112 million, with an annual growth rate of about 3.2%.

The government says the census will provide reliable data for planning public services. But for many residents, the more pressing issue is being officially recognized by the state. In Bunia, where armed groups have fueled years of violence and displacement, access to official documents remains a major concern. With national ID cards not widely issued for decades, voter cards have long been one of the few widely accepted forms of identification.

Gedeon Katembo, 36, a father of three, hopes the census will help build a better document issuance system. “It is essential to know how many Congolese are in the country and in the world,” Katembo said. “The census could also help strengthen national unity.” The lack of identity documents stems from decades of political instability, weak administrative systems, and conflict that disrupted state services across the country.

The census will begin with digital mapping, where teams identify inhabited areas before household data collection. The task is immense, as DR Congo covers more than 2.3 million square kilometers, with many communities hard to reach due to poor roads, limited infrastructure, and insecurity. Henri Marie Kazadi, technical coordinator of the Central Census Office at the National Statistics Institute, said the census will use digital tools rather than paper. “We will use tablets and smartphones to collect data,” Kazadi said. The Planning Ministry started recruiting field staff in June for the mapping phase.

However, in eastern DR Congo, where armed groups remain active, accessing every community will be one of the biggest challenges. Muyisa Hangi Christophe, an activist with the Filimbi pro-democracy movement, said displacement could leave many people uncounted. “We are almost in a situation where it is impossible to organize a census,” Christophe said. “The authorities have not really established effective control over the entire territory, and there is large population displacement, because the census requires people to be interviewed in their communities.”

The census also comes at a politically sensitive time. Efforts to establish a national identification system began under former President Joseph Kabila but stalled during the political crisis after his term ended. With general elections expected in 2028, some opposition figures and civil society organizations fear population figures could become a point of political dispute, especially regarding representation and governance. The Kinshasa-based research institute Ebuteli has warned that the census could become more sensitive as the country debates constitutional amendments and its political future.

Prince Bitaki, an opposition politician, said the authorities must ensure the process is not used for political purposes. “A census is good, but why do it when the country is heading toward a critical moment when we should be preparing for the upcoming elections?” Bitaki asked. The government rejects claims that the census is politically motivated, maintaining it is a routine state activity aimed at improving national planning.

For development analysts, the census’s value lies in helping authorities make decisions based on accurate population data rather than estimates. Maneno Kakule Ndavugha, a development analyst, said the data could help determine where to build schools, hospitals, roads, water systems, and electricity. “It would be meaningless if the state built a football stadium in an area populated only by the elderly,” he said. Reliable census data could help officials understand where people live, their living conditions, and what services are needed.

For people like Ramazani and Katembo, the census is more than numbers. It is about finally appearing in official records and obtaining documents that many Congolese have never had. For Katembo, official identity papers represent recognition that many Congolese feel they have long lacked. “With these cards, we will regain the nationality we lost more than 40 years ago,” Katembo said.