Shafaq News/ The Iraqi government has announced plans to conduct the country's first general population and housing census in 27 years on November 20, 2024.
The last census in 1997 recorded a population of 22.33 million, while the Ministry of Planning estimated the 2022 population at around 42 million, with an annual growth rate of 2.5%. For the first time, the census will employ technology for data collection.
The long-awaited census is considered by experts necessary for the success of Iraq’s five-year development plan since it will provide accurate data to shape a comprehensive, sustainable strategy centered on the private sector.
Enumeration and Survey Process
The Ministry of Planning confirmed that preparations for the census are ongoing, with the process now entering the final stages. The current phase, which began on September 1, focuses on the enumeration and survey of all households, buildings, and facilities across Iraq. The process will continue for two months, during which all family members in the country will also be counted.
Abdul Zahra Al-Hindawi, the Ministry of Planning spokesperson, noted that "the enumeration and survey process was delayed in the Kurdistan Region due to the involvement of teachers in second-round exams, which delayed their participation in training sessions." The process will begin in the Kurdistan Region on September 16, 2024, and will conclude on the same date as in other Iraqi provinces.
Al-Hindawi described this phase as the "backbone of the general census," involving 40,000 field researchers across all governorates except the Kurdistan Region. Another 80,000 researchers will be trained by mid-October, bringing the total number to 120,000. All census operations will be conducted electronically.
“Preliminary results will be announced within 24 hours of the census’s completion, detailing the population of Iraq and its governorates, as well as a breakdown of males and females. Full census data will be released within two months.”
Impact on Development
Economic expert Abdul Rahman Al-Sheikhli pointed out that the data collected will be very important to the government's five-year development plan, which began in 2024 and is set to conclude in 2028. "The plan will only succeed with accurate data to design a sustainable, comprehensive strategy that takes into account the resources needed to serve Iraq’s economy," Al-Sheikhli said, adding that “the future plan would rely heavily on the private sector, with a reduced role for the public sector to meet administrative needs.”
“The census forms include 11 detailed sections, to be filled electronically, providing a clear picture of Iraq’s population and housing conditions. However, displaced persons and refugees will not be included in the count.” He explained.
Economic expert Karim Al-Hello agreed with Al-Sheikhli on the importance of the population census.
Speaking to Shafaq News, Al-Hello explained that "the census is remarkable across all economic, political, and cultural aspects, among others, due to the lack of comprehensive statistics in the country. Accurate data on the population and housing will reveal many critical insights and help identify the needs of the country accordingly."
Concerns Over Costs
Economic researcher Abdul Salam Hassan Hussein raised concerns about the estimated costs of the census, which are projected to reach billions of dollars. Hussein likened the potential for corruption in the census process to the 2022 tax trust embezzlement case involving Noor Zuhair, commonly referred to as the “Theft Of The Century.”
Hussein questioned the necessity of the high expenses, arguing that “millions of Iraqis living abroad make it unlikely that the census will fully succeed…the government could have conducted the census during elections or through public employees and schools, reducing the costs significantly.”