Shafaq News/ The participation in Kirkuk province’s, northeastern Iraq, population census, which kicked off on Wednesday, has reached 75%.
"The rate is steadily increasing due to citizen cooperation," Mustafa Akram, head of Kirkuk Statistic Directorate, stated on Thursday, adding that the census process continues successfully with the efforts of field teams across the province.
Earlier today, Governor Rebwar Taha announced that Kirkuk province's population has reached nearly 1.9 million according to the latest census, a significant increase from the previous estimate of 1.35 million.
During a press conference, Taha highlighted the census’s economic benefits for Kirkuk, including an increased share in the national budget, more job opportunities, enhanced power supply from the national electricity grid, and overall improvements in daily life services.
It is noteworthy that the outcomes of this census could either address the longstanding grievances rooted in Kirkuk’s past or exacerbate existing tensions, depending on how the data is used in future negotiations and governance decisions.
Kirkuk’s Historical Context
Kirkuk has a complex demographic history marked by significant ethnic and political shifts. Historically, Kirkuk was a mosaic of ethnic groups, with Kurds being the largest group, followed by Turkmen and Arabs.
The last official census in 1957 reported 178,000 Kurds, 48,000 Turkmen, and 43,000 Arabs living in Kirkuk.
Under Saddam Hussein's regime, the policy of Arabization significantly altered Kirkuk's ethnic composition. Arab families were relocated to Kirkuk, while many Kurds and Turkmen were displaced, altering the city's demographic balance. Following the fall of Saddam in 2003, many Kurds began returning to their ancestral lands in Kirkuk, reigniting ethnic and political tensions in the region.
The national census results could impact resource distribution and future negotiations between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
Kirkuk's significant oil reserves add another layer of complexity, as the census results could influence the distribution of oil revenues and economic planning.