DR Congo begins sensitization campaign ahead of August census

The Democratic Republic of the Congo's government will launch a mass sensitization exercise on July 15 in preparation for the country’s first census in over 40 years.

Ahead of this exercise, President Felix Tshisekedi met UNFPA representative Alain Akpadji on July 14, where the UNFPA pledged to support using demographic intelligence & digital tools for a national census in "very difficult conditions."

DR Congo has received pledges exceeding $200 million from international donors.

Speaking at a past donor roundtable convening the census's technical and financial partners, President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo described this exercise as "an act of sovereignty, an instrument of public justice and an essential lever for the effectiveness of State action".

"Far from being a simple technical or administrative exercise, this event marks a moment of truth for our country, an event where our nation decides we should get to know each other better to govern itself better, plan better, and transform itself better," said President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, who chaired the roundtable.

The last population census in DR Congo was held in 1984. Since then, the country has undergone a significant demographic transformation, with its population now estimated at more than 112.8 million inhabitants – almost four times the 1984 figure.

The census is scheduled to begin in August and will run until 2027.