Twelve African countries have gone at least a decade without completing a new population census

Key Takeaways

  • Twelve African countries have not completed a census in at least 10 years.
  • DR Congo (42 years) and Somalia (40 years) have Africa's oldest censuses.
  • Guinea-Bissau has completed a new census, while Cameroon and Chad are still counting.
  • Nigeria and DR Congo are preparing new censuses, but fieldwork has not begun.
  • South Sudan's census is disputed, while Eritrea is excluded from the ranking.

Nigeria’s latest population census turned 20 in March 2026. It is one of 12 African countries where the latest complete census of the present-day territory was conducted at least 10 calendar years ago.

DR Congo has the oldest completed census on the list. Its 1984 count is now 42 calendar years old. Somalia follows at 40 years, although the results of its 1986 census were never released.

The ranking is already changing. Guinea-Bissau completed its new census and published preliminary results on 23 July, reducing its gap from 17 years to zero. New census enumeration was still ongoing in Cameroon and Chad as of 29 July.

Nigeria was preparing for another technology-enabled census, but no enumeration date had been announced. DR Congo had secured $200 million in donor commitments for its second population and housing census, including $80 million from the African Development Bank, although fieldwork had not started.

South Sudan’s 2008 census was conducted before independence and its results were disputed. Eritrea is excluded because it has not completed a census since independence, while Ethiopia’s 1984 census did not fully enumerate Eritrea.

The values represent the calendar-year difference between 2026 and the latest completed census covering each country’s present-day territory. Planned, funded or ongoing censuses are not counted as completed.

Source:

National census authorities; UNFPA; Intelpoint calculations

Period:

July 2026
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