Iraq begins first nationwide census in 37 years

Iraq has started a population census covering the entire nation, including the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), Anadolu has reported. It is the first such census to be held in Iraq in 37 years.

The census chief for the KRG capital Kirkuk within Iraq’s Planning Ministry told Anadolu on Wednesday that the two-day census has started there as well. Stating that collecting family data began approximately four days ago, Mustafa Ekrem said that as of today, staff are visiting homes to review information gathered previously.

Ekrem pointed out that 5,600 census officials have been assigned to carry out home inspections in Kirkuk over the two days. The population of Kirkuk is around 1.8 million, he said, but the census should clarify the figure.

Earlier, the Iraqi Turkmen Front said that it had monitored major violations ahead of the population count, including bringing families from the KRG provinces to Kirkuk to register them in the records there.

Although the census is normally carried out every 10 years, it has been delayed since the 2003 US invasion of Iraq due to the subsequent violence and upheaval. A two-day curfew is in place today and tomorrow to facilitate the process.

The population count is expected to influence various issues such as the national budget, development projects and parliamentary and provincial council seats. It will be completed online and will not include questions about ethnicity or sect.

READ: Russia President, Iraq Premier discuss situation in Middle East