Government and administration
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Conakry is a special city with a single region and prefecture government. The local government of the city was decentralized in 1991 between five municipal communes headed by a mayor. From the tip in the southwest, these were in 2014:
Kaloum – the city centre at the end of the peninsula, together with the Iles de Los off the southwest of the peninsula.
Dixinn – along the west side of the peninsula, adjoining the city centre and including the University of Conakry and many embassies.
Ratoma – further along the west side of the peninsula, and known for its nightlife.
Matam - along the east side of the peninsula, adjoining the city centre.
Matoto – further along the east side of the peninsula, and home to Conakry International Airport.
By the 2025 Census, the original five communes had been split, with a new Kassa Commune split from Kaloum to create a new commune to cover the archipelagic Iles de Los. Ratoma was split into three communes, with the new communes of Lambanyi and Sonfonia formed from the northeast parts of the original commune. Matoto was similarly split into three communes, with a new Gbessia commune (including the airport) formed from the southern part of the original commune, and a new Tombolia commune formed from the eastern part of the original commune. Three additional communes has been added to Conakry Special Zone from former parts of Kindia Region, namely Kagbélen commune from Dubréka Prefecture on the west side and Sanoyah and Manéah communes from Coyah Prefecture on the east side. Thus there are now thirteen communes within the expanded area of Conakry.
Name of commune
Area (km2)
Census 2014(1 March)
Census 2025(1 July)
Kassa
14.28
(a)
9,257
Kaloum
4.64
62,675
49,364
Dixinn
7.71
137287
186,553
Ratoma
18.50
653,934
187,265
Lambanyi
23.35
(b)
385,884
Sonfonia
51.66
(b)
310,474
Kagbélen
104.20
(c)
395,370
Matam
6.20
142,658
177,271
Gbessia
15.61
(d)
520,284
Matoto
21.37
670,310
257,026
Tombolia
161.00
(d)
373,424
Sanoyah
24.11
(e)
322,419
Manéah
49.11
(e)
232,736
Total Conakry
500.74
1,940,544
3,407,327
Notes: (a) Included in 2014 figure for Kaloum, from which it was cut out. (b) included in 2014 figre for Ratoma, from which it was cut out. (c) Not part of Conakry Special Zone in 2014, when it was part of Dubréka Prefecture (with Kindia Region). (d) included in 2014 figure for Matoto, from which it was cut out. (e) Not part of Conakry Special Zone in 2014, when it was part of Coyah Prefecture (within Kindia Region).
The thirteen urban communes make up the Conakry Region, one of the eight Regions of Guinea, which is headed by a governor. At the second-tier prefecture level, the city is designated as the Conakry Special Zone, though the prefecture and regional government are one and the same. At 3.4 million inhabitants at the 2025 Census, it is far and away the largest city in Guinea, making up almost a fifth of the nation's population and making it more than eight times bigger than its nearest rival, Kankan (which had 410,542 inhabitants in 2025.