The African Development Bank Group has committed $80 million to support the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s first population census in more than 40 years, marking a major step toward strengthening data-driven governance in one of Africa’s largest nations.
The funding will go toward the country’s second General Population and Housing Census, with $50 million allocated to core census operations and $30 million dedicated to building the capacity of key national institutions, including the National Institute of Statistics.
The announcement was made in Kinshasa during a high-level donor roundtable that brought together international development partners. The Bank’s contribution forms a significant portion of the roughly $200 million pledged to support the exercise.
The census will be the first since 1984, highlighting the scale of the data gap facing the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Over the past four decades, the country’s population has grown dramatically and is now estimated at more than 112 million people, nearly four times its size at the time of the last count.
Speaking at the event, President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo underscored the importance of the exercise, describing it as essential for effective governance and national planning. He noted that without accurate and up-to-date data, governments risk making policy decisions without a clear understanding of population needs.
Development partners, including the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the United Nations, also pledged support for the initiative. Meanwhile, Côte d’Ivoire committed to providing equipment and technical cooperation, while the Congolese government has already mobilised $30 million from its national budget.
Officials say the census will play a critical role in improving policy planning, budgeting, and service delivery, particularly in sectors such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
For the African Development Bank, the investment reflects a broader push to strengthen statistical systems across the continent, ensuring that governments have the data needed to drive sustainable economic development.
