Iraq's population has reached 46.1 million, according to the final results of the nation's first census in nearly four decades, released Monday.
The figure marks a significant increase from the unofficial 2009 estimate of 31.6 million.
Iraqi officials hailed the census as a milestone achievement, emphasising its crucial role in informing future planning and resource allocation strategies.
Planning Minister Mohammed Tamim, speaking at a news conference announcing the results, said the census "demonstrates the government’s determination" to enhance living conditions throughout the country.
The Iraqi government is trying to consolidate security improvements after decades of war and instability, and to develop the economy at a time of regional upheaval.
The census provides detailed insights into economic, educational and housing conditions, with separate breakdowns for Iraq as a whole and the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in the north.
In federal Iraq, some 70.2 per cent of the population lives in urban areas, while the Kurdish urban areas comprise 84.6 per cent of the Kurdish population.
The Kurdish region also saw higher rates of employment with 46 per cent of the population economically active, compared to 41.6 per cent in federal areas. Children’s enrolment in primary school was 93 per cent in the Kurdish areas versus 88 per cent in Iraq.
However, federal Iraq saw higher rates of home ownership and access to potable water and state electricity.
Tamim said the data will support a fairer distribution of resources across provinces.
“For the first time in four decades, Iraq has successfully conducted a full census, helping ensure more equitable resource allocation,” he said.
The final count from the 2024 census is an increase of more than 1 million over the the preliminary estimate of 45.407 million released in November.
