LISGIS Clarifies: Gounwolaila District Misplacement Is a Data Error, No Impact on County Totals

‎‎ By: Henry B. Gboluma, Jr. |Gbarpolu Correspondent

‎Bopolu City, Gbarpolu County |Feb. 4, 2026| The Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) has clarified that the transfer of Gounwolaila District’s population to Grand Cape Mount County was a data error, not a deliberate attempt to alter the counties’ demographics.

‎‎Boima Sonii, LISGIS Deputy Director General for Statistics and Data Processing, stated that, in statistics, “numbers don’t lie.” The total of districts must align with the corresponding county total, and the same logic applies across counties. He described the issue as a misplacement and confirmed that the overall population in each county remains unchanged.

‎Sonii appeared on a local radio program in Bopolu City to urge residents to consult the LISGIS website for official information on data and census matters in Liberia.

‎The misplacement error was identified in the 2022 Liberia Housing and Population Final Report, which incorrectly placed Gounwolaila Administrative District under Grand Cape Mount County. Gbarpolu youth leaders Joshua Mendscole and Willie Taylor had raised concerns that the error was adversely affecting the county.

Importantly, LISGIS confirms that the mistake does not affect the population totals of either county. The figures for Gbarpolu County and Grand Cape Mount County remain unchanged, as the population numbers were already correctly captured.