Iraq registers its population for the first time in 37 years

For the first time in 37 years, Iraq has begun a two-day general population census covering the entire country, including the provinces of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq.

Mustafa Ekrem, director of the Kirkuk Census Department of the Iraqi Ministry of Planning, told Anadolu Agency that the population census has begun in Kirkuk and throughout Iraq.

He said that the information about the families started coming 4 days ago, and from today they are going to the houses and analyzing the information received earlier.

According to these data, 5,600 civil servants have been allocated for a 2-day door-to-door study in Kirkuk.

Expressing that they estimated the population of Kirkuk to be around 1,800,000 people, Ekrem said that the exact population of the city will be determined as a result of the population census.

Iraq's census was supposed to be held every 10 years, but it was not possible due to the violence that followed the 2003 US invasion of the country.

A 2-day curfew has been introduced for the general population census, which will take place on November 20-21.

The census considers budget planning, development projects, and the number of seats in parliament and regional assemblies.

Ethnic and sectarian issues are not included in the electronic population census.

According to the information of the American-British non-governmental organization Iraq Body Count, from 2003 to December 2007, when the US began the occupation of Iraq, about 128 thousand civilians were killed in the country. According to the estimates of Opinion Research Business, from 946,000 to 1,120,000 Iraqis died.