Kurdish official calls upcoming census a “National Matter” amid dispute over demographic balance

Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, Saadi Pira, the spokesperson for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), described Iraq’s upcoming national census as a “general national matter.”

In a press conference held in Erbil, Pira urged residents to return to their original areas and participate in the census. “This issue concerns the future of the region,” he stated, emphasizing the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) responsibility to facilitate people’s return to their hometowns.

Pira also highlighted Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani's recent visit to the Kurdistan Region, following recent elections, as pivotal. “The visit could bolster efforts to ensure success in Iraq’s next elections.”

Meanwhile, Iraq’s cabinet decided on Tuesday to delay releasing census results for disputed areas until they can be compared with the 1957 census data, according to former Kurdish MP Bakhtiar Shawis.

Shawis underscored the importance of this step for ensuring accurate population data in the contested areas.

The census is a sensitive topic in Iraq, particularly in disputed areas where demographic balances affect political control.

The General Board for Kurdistani Areas Outside the Region recently requested a postponement of the census, a request denied by Iraq’s Ministry of Interior, which insisted the census proceed as planned and include all communities—Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen—with coordination from the KRG.

The exclusion of an ethnicity question in the census has raised concerns among residents of disputed territories, particularly among Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen, who fear it may affect demographic representation.

The Ministry of Planning asserts that the census is solely for economic and developmental purposes and has no political intent. However, some politicians and residents argue that excluding ethnic identification contradicts Iraq’s constitution and the rights of disputed areas to self-identify.