Iraq announces initial census results with population recorded at over 45m

BAGHDAD — Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani announced initial results of the country’s General Census of Population and Housing on Monday, revealing that Iraq’s population has reached 45,407,895.

“In urban areas, 70.3% of the population resides, while 29.7% live in rural areas,” Al-Sudani stated during the briefing. “The total number of households in Iraq stands at 7,898,588, with an annual population growth rate of 2.3%.”

He added, “The average household size is 5.3 members. The male population accounts for 22,784,062 individuals, or 50.1%, while the female population is 22,623,833, making up 49.8%. Women head 11.33% of households, while men lead 88.67%.”

Highlighting demographic dynamics, Al-Sudani noted, “Children under 15 years old make up 36.1% of the population. The working-age group, 15 to 64 years, constitutes 60.2%, while those over 65 represent 3.7%.” He emphasized Iraq’s entry into a demographic dividend phase, with 60% of its population in the working-age bracket.

The census also provided housing insights. “Iraq has 8,037,221 housing units,” Al-Sudani said. “Of these, 92.1% are standalone houses, 6.6% are apartments, and just 0.4% are mud-brick houses.”

This census, conducted from Nov. 20-22, 2024, marks Iraq’s first comprehensive population count in nearly four decades. The process involved a nationwide curfew to facilitate data collection and was managed by 120,000 researchers across all 18 governorates.

The United Nations Population Fund supported the census, ensuring adherence to international standards and leveraging advanced digital technologies for comprehensive coverage, including marginalized and hard-to-reach populations.