KRG Planning Ministry Highlights Importance of Census's Next Phase

PUKMEDIA

Iraq and Kurdistan map.

The Ministry of Planning of the Kurdistan Region declared the conclusion of the second phase of Iraq's National Housing and Population Census and the commencement of the subsequent phase, urging citizens from areas covered by Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution to engage in this phase as previously and to complete the census forms to fully benefit from this significant process.

The Ministry of Planning of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said in a statement that in just 14 days, despite dozens of technical challenges and field issues, this phase was successfully executed. 

The statement read: "The residents of the Article 140 regions presented a touching and beautiful scene as thousands of families returned to their homes to partake in the census in Sinjar, Makhmur, Kirkuk, Khanaqin, and other Kurdish territories, thereby affirming the existence of these areas."

The statement urged citizens to engage in the completion of the census forms, as the prior phase solely recorded the number of families and their members, along with some additional pertinent information. However, to fully take advantage of this significant process, it is vital to complete a comprehensive census form.

The ministry stated that the next phase, involving the completion of forms, will assist in understanding economic, social, educational, health, demographic, and other sectors of citizens, as it will significantly benefit them by facilitating the provision of essential services and the formulation of robust plans for service project implementation.

The statement said: "We urge the citizens of the Article 140 regions to attend this phase, as it is crucial for both them and us to facilitate the implementation of key aspects of our agreement with the Iraqi federal government concerning cross-referencing the 2024 Census data with the 1957 Census data and create a population registry list of Article 140 regions, as the new data will serve as a foundation for identifying indigenous residents from resettled individuals."

The National Population and Housing Census is ongoing in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, with the second phase concluded and the third phase commencing. Preliminary estimates indicate that Iraq's population surpasses 45 million.  

The 2024 census is the first of its kind in Iraq since 1987. Article 11 of Iraq's Statistics and Geographic Information Systems Law of 2023 mandates that a general population and housing census be carried out every 10 years. The last census, conducted in 1997, was the most recent, but it excluded the Kurdistan Region. Prior to that, censuses were carried out in 1957, 1965, 1977, and 1987. 

This census is especially significant as it is the first of its kind in 37 years and represents a major step forward in updating the country's data and poverty indicators.



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