‘I’ve never been counted’: DR Congo’s first census in 42 years
Summary
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is preparing for its first national census in 42 years to count and officially register its population. This census aims to provide accurate data for planning services and to help many people, like Heritier Ramazani, obtain official identity documents for the first time.Key Facts
- The last census in the DRC was done in 1984 when the country was called Zaire.
- The DRC has about 112 million people, growing at roughly 3.2 percent per year.
- Many Congolese, especially young people, lack official identity documents.
- National identity cards have not been widely available for years. Voter registration cards often act as ID.
- The census will use digital tools like tablets and smartphones instead of paper forms.
- Census teams will first identify all inhabited areas using digital mapping before collecting household data.
- The DRC is very large (over 2.3 million square km), with poor roads and some areas controlled by armed groups, making data collection difficult.
- Government hopes the census will improve identity records and help plan public services better.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
