Gabon has formally entered the population-counting phase of its national census, a process that will shape public policy, investment planning, and development priorities in Central Africa’s third-largest oil producer. The operation comes more than a decade after the country’s last official population count.

Gabon has moved into a critical new phase of its General Population and Housing Census (RGPL), as authorities prepare to conduct a nationwide headcount of residents beginning in early 2026. On 31 December 2025, the government officially launched the population enumeration phase with the handover of logistical equipment to the Bureau central du recensement, the institution responsible for coordinating census operations.

The move reflects growing concern among policymakers and international partners over the lack of up-to-date demographic data in Gabon, where the most recent census dates back to 2013. Accurate population statistics are considered essential for economic planning, public service delivery, and long-term development strategies.

Logistics Handed Over to Census Authorities

The launch ceremony in Libreville was presided over by Louise Pierrette Mvono, Minister of Planning and Foresight, who officially handed over ten vehicles to Noël Moussavou, Director of the Central Census Bureau.

The vehicles are intended to strengthen the operational capacity of census teams as they prepare to deploy across Gabon’s nine provinces, including remote and sparsely populated areas where access remains a challenge.

According to Noël Moussavou, the logistical reinforcement marks the effective start of the census’s second phase, following the completion of cartographic work aimed at identifying and mapping population zones.

Nationwide Enumeration Begins January 2026

The operational calendar is ambitious. Training is scheduled to begin on 2 January 2026, followed by further education of census agents around 7 January. The government expects the population count itself to start later in January and conclude by February 2026.

More than 5,000 census agents will be trained over a two-week period before being deployed nationwide. Their mandate will cover all urban neighbourhoods, rural villages, municipalities, and isolated communities, ensuring comprehensive geographic coverage.

For international observers, the scale of the mobilisation highlights the importance the authorities attach to restoring statistical credibility after years of reliance on outdated demographic estimates.

A Strategic Tool for Public Policy

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Mvono underlined the strategic importance of the census for Gabon’s governance and development agenda.

The census is framed as a cornerstone of the country’s institutional transition under the political vision of the “Fifth Republic,” following recent constitutional and governance reforms. Updated population data is expected to inform decisions on infrastructure investment, healthcare coverage, education planning, and social protection programmes.

The minister also called on citizens to cooperate fully with census agents by providing accurate information—an issue that has historically affected data quality in several African censuses.

Why the Census Matters Internationally

Gabon’s last general population census in 2013 estimated the population at approximately 2.2 million. Since then, demographic growth, urbanisation, migration, and economic pressures have significantly altered the country’s social landscape.

For international investors, development banks, and multilateral institutions, reliable demographic data is critical for:

• Assessing market size and labour availability
• Planning infrastructure and energy projects
• Targeting development assistance and social programmes
• Evaluating long-term fiscal and economic sustainability

The absence of updated census data has complicated comparative analysis within Central Africa, particularly as neighbouring countries have updated their demographic baselines more recently.

As Gabon embarks on its first population count in more than twelve years, the success of the census will depend on logistical execution, public cooperation, and institutional credibility. If completed as planned, the RGPL could provide a long-awaited statistical foundation for policymaking and international engagement.

For a country seeking to modernise its governance framework and reposition itself economically, the census represents more than a technical exercise—it is a prerequisite for evidence-based decision-making in an increasingly competitive regional and global environment.