Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

The Kurdistan Region accounted for 14.4% of Iraq's total population, according to the latest national census, replacing the previously used estimate of 12.7% that Baghdad had long relied on in its dealings with the Region, a Kurdish official told Shafaq News on Tuesday.

Shwan Kamal, director of Al-Sulaymaniyah Statistics Directorate, said that "the government of Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi should take the new figure into account in future agreements with the Region, particularly those related to the federal budget and other financial and administrative arrangements.”

Authorities are still analyzing census data to determine poverty rates, levels of commercial, economic, and industrial activity, he said, adding that specialized institutions are coordinating with Iraq's Ministry of Planning to publish additional detailed results.

According to political analyst Karzan Abdulrahman, the census results entitle the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to a larger share of resources than in previous years, noting that it provides services in Kurdish-populated areas outside its administration. He stated that the 14.4% of Iraq’s 46.1 million population does not fully reflect the scope of those responsibilities, suggesting that the proportion of Iraqis benefiting from KRG services could exceed 20% if those areas are taken into account.

Speaking to Shafaq News, Abdulrahman indicated that KRG institutions continue to provide healthcare, education, municipal services, and aspects of public administration in those areas, while portions of some institutional budgets are allocated to serve their residents.

The November 20–21, 2024, census was Iraq’s first comprehensive nationwide enumeration in 37 years.

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