Gabon has officially entered a vital stage of its General Population and Housing Census (RGPL) with the formal commencement of the counting operation.
To support this nationwide effort, the Minister of Planning and Forecasting, Pierrette Mvono, presented ten vehicles to the Director General of the Census, Noël Moussavou. This logistical boost is intended to strengthen the operational capacity of the teams tasked with reaching every corner of the country.
According to Director General Moussavou, this development signals the start of the second phase of the census, following the completion of the mapping phase. The enumeration process will allow for a comprehensive count of the population across the entire territory, building on the prior identification of residential areas. The operational timeline began with the training of trainers on January 2, 2026, while the training for census takers is set to start on January 7. More than 5,000 enumerators will undergo a two-week training period before being deployed to various neighborhoods, villages, and municipalities. Fieldwork is expected to run through January and February 2026.
The government views this census as a strategic priority. Minister Mvono emphasized that knowing the exact population size and distribution is essential for guiding public policy effectively. In alignment with the goals of the Fifth Republic, the operation is designed to provide reliable, up-to-date demographic data necessary for development planning and addressing economic and social challenges.
Authorities have urged the public to participate actively in the process. The results will update the data from the last national census in 2013, which estimated Gabon’s population at roughly 2.2 million. More than a decade later, the country aims to establish an accurate statistical foundation as a prerequisite for effective governance and future growth.
RNK/ac/fss/abj/APA