Baghdad rebuts Kurdish claims of census manipulation
Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Erbil
On Wednesday, Iraq’s Planning Ministry defended the 2024 national census after the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) challenged the results, accusing Baghdad of manipulating population figures.
In a statement, Abdul Zahra Al-Hindawi, the ministry’s spokesperson, confirmed that detailed census data —including more than 20 tables covering provinces, districts, sub-districts, neighborhoods, and villages— were shared with the KRG. According to the final numbers, Iraq’s population reached 46.118 million, with the Kurdistan Region accounting for 12.68% of the total.
He further clarified that the calculations followed prior agreements, such as excluding residents whose previous home was in another Iraqi province. An advisory board reviewed the methodology and verified that a migration matrix was correctly applied to assign residents to their original provinces when relevant, while foreigners were excluded. The ministry added that the process complied with international standards.
Earlier this month, the KRG rejected the official figures, accusing Baghdad of altering population data, urging adherence to joint agreements and official Kurdish results, which had placed the Region at 14.1%. Kurdish Planning Minister Dara Rashid cautioned that discrepancies in population counts could affect Erbil’s entitlements, calling for immediate corrective measures.
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