Delays in population census results raise concerns about Ministry of Planning

Shafaq News/ Senior officials from the Ministry of Planning were summoned for discussions over the delayed release of final population census results and the status of reconstruction projects in various provinces, according to a member of Iraq’s Parliamentary Integrity Committee.
MP Hamid al-Shiblawi told Shafaq News, “The committee hosted deputy ministers and general directors from the Ministry of Planning. However, the minister was absent… The discussions covered several administrative and financial issues within the ministry.”
He emphasized that accurate census data is crucial for effective resource allocation and development planning across provinces, with the delay in releasing the results reducing the government's ability to organize projects and allocate resources based on current population statistics.
Iraq commenced its first nationwide population census in nearly four decades on November 20, 2024, with preliminary results indicating that the population has reached 45.4 million.
The Ministry of Planning said that the preparatory stages of the census were largely successful, exceeding 98% completion across Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region, but the delay is due to “budgetary constraints and political concerns, particularly in disputed regions such as Kirkuk.”
Despite this delay, the detailed results of the census are expected to be released by March 2025.