Erbil and Baghdad's census differ by 720k people regarding Kurdistan Region's population

Kurdistan 04:17 PM - 2023-03-07

People of Kurdistan Region

The population statistics of the Kurdistan Region obtained by Erbil differ by more than 720,000 people from those collected by Baghdad.

One of the points of agreement between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) is to rely on Iraqi statistics for the upcoming parliamentary elections, as the statistics of the Kurdistan Region are very different from those of Iraq.

One year and two statistics

According to information made available to PUKMEDIA, the population statistics of the Kurdistan Region compiled by Erbil in 2020 had 722,829 more people than the population statistics collected by Baghdad.

The population of the Kurdistan Region in 2020, according to Iraqi statistics, was 5,449,360 people, but according to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), it was 6,172,083 people. There is a difference of 722,723 people comparing the two statistics.

Statistics of Erbil

According to the Iraqi government's statistics, the population of Erbil is 1,903,609, but the population of Erbil is 2,255,422 according to the KRG's statistics, and the difference is 351,813 people.

Statistics of Sulaymaniyah

According to the Iraqi government's statistics, the population of Sulaymaniyah and Halabja is 2,219,193 people. However, according to the KRG's statistics, the population of Sulaymaniyah and Halabja is 2,268,050 people, and the difference is 48,857 people.

Statistics of Duhok

According to the Iraqi government's statistics, Duhok's population is 1,326,558 people, but according to the KRG statistics, Duhok's population is 1,648,611 people, so the difference is 322,053 people.

Statistics from Iraq's Ministry of Planning are more precise

The KRG population statistics and the Iraqi Ministry of Planning's statistics differ significantly, according to Latif Nerway, head of the Coordination and Monitoring Board of the PUK's Election Agency, who told PUKMEDIA: During the next elections, "The PUK stresses using the statistics of the Iraqi Ministry of Planning."

If we want fair elections, we must rely on the Ministry of Planning's statistics because the strong contrast between the data from the Kurdistan Region and Iraq will significantly affect the outcome, according to Nerway. "And even in Iraq, the statistics of the Ministry of Planning are more accurate than statistical data of the Ministry of Commerce," he added.

The population of the Kurdistan Region is 14% of Iraq

The latest current figures from the Iraqi Ministry of Planning, released on September 20, 2022, show that 5,884,23 persons, or 14% of the country's total population, reside in the Kurdistan Region.

Iraq's Ministry of Planning statistics will be relied upon

Narmin Maruf, a PUK Faction MP in the Iraqi parliament, told PUKMEDIA: "The Ministry of Planning has the authority to conduct a census in Iraq, and only their proposals would be approved and taken into consideration."

The statistics of Erbil and Baghdad are very different from one another

The coordinator of the Gorran (Change) Movement's Diplomatic Relations Chamber confirms the vast difference between the statistics of the population of the Kurdistan Region conducted by Baghdad and Erbil.

Dr. Hoshyar Omar, the Gorran Movement's diplomatic relations chamber coordinator, told PUKMEDIA that there is a significant discrepancy between the data released by the KRG and those of the Iraqi government's Ministry of Planning.

“The disparity among the two statistics is estimated to be around 722,000 people, and nearly 700,000 of that number falls within the governorates of Erbil and Dohuk”, he stated.

According to KRG census figures from 2020, the Kurdistan Region has a population of 6,172,083. However, according to the latest recent data from the Iraqi Ministry of Planning, which was made public on September 20, 2022, the Kurdistan Region has a population of 5,884,23 people. The two numbers still differ by more than 288,000 people. If the KRG publishes data for 2022, the disparity could surpass over one million people.

 

 

PUKMEDIA