Pilot population census begins in Kirkuk

KIRKUK — A pilot census has begun in Kirkuk, lasting for 14 days, as part of preparations for Iraq’s national census scheduled for November 20, 2024. The pilot will be conducted across all provinces, with Kirkuk following the same procedures as other cities. The first phase in Kirkuk targets the Aden, Gurgachali, and Baglar neighborhoods.

“Today, we started the census and have designated three neighborhoods. Besides testing the census tools, the first day will involve collecting data on households, family members, ages, genders, education levels, unemployment rates, and employment types,” Mustafa Akram, Director of Kirkuk Census Administration, told 964media. “This census aims to provide the government with accurate population data to facilitate planning and project implementation based on the population density of each area.”

The national census will be Iraq’s first since 1997. However, the 1997 census did not include the Kurdistan Region, which had been outside the control of the Iraqi government since 1991. The last comprehensive census including Kurdistan was in 1987.

Controversy surrounds the current census due to the exclusion of questions regarding ethnicity and religious sect. Akram confirmed these questions were not included in the pilot census in Kirkuk, one of Iraq’s most ethnically and religiously diverse provinces.

Iraq has conducted six censuses, with the 1957 census still regarded as the most comprehensive and accurate.

Last week, a pilot census using electronic methods began in the Ibn Mustawfi neighborhood of Erbil. Erbil Mayor Nabaz Abdulhamid stated that the project included assigning numbers to buildings and filling out electronic forms.