Iraq to release initial population census results directly following survey

Shafaq News/ The head of Iraq's Central Statistical Organization, Diyaa Awad, has announced the release date for the initial results of Iraq's nationwide census, set for November 20 and 21.

Awad told Shafaq News Agency that “the preliminary results will be disclosed in an official press conference led by the Minister of Interior, once the nationwide curfew is lifted. A date for the formal release of the full census data will be set afterward.”

Awad also confirmed that the curfew will apply across all Iraqi provinces, including the Kurdistan Region, without exceptions for any area or city.

The Iraqi government plans to conduct the census over two days, restricting the movement of citizens, vehicles, and trains between urban and rural areas except for essential and humanitarian cases, facilitating the work of census officials.

Iraq last conducted a nationwide population census in 1987, followed by a 1997 count that excluded the Kurdistan Region. For years, the country has relied on estimates from unofficial research institutes and organizations. In 2022, the Planning Ministry estimated Iraq’s population to be over 42 million.