Iraq Fertility Rates Under Spotlight as UNFPA Challenges Global Population Narratives

UNFPA

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On the occasion of World Population Day, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Iraq in partnership with Ministry of Planning officially launched its groundbreaking "State of World Population Report 2025," which challenges prevailing global narratives on fertility rates and population growth. 

The report underscores that the true crisis is not a "population collapse" or overpopulation, but rather the widespread inability of individuals to achieve their desired family size.

The event, held in Baghdad, brought together government officials, diplomatic representatives, civil society partners, and media to discuss critical demographic trends, particularly within the Iraqi context where fertility rate stands  at 3.3 children per woman in Iraq and 3.2 in Kurdistan Region of Iraq (I-WISH-II).

The UNFPA Iraq said in a statement on Monday, 14 July 2025, that "State of World Population Report 2025" is the culmination of extensive research, including a pioneering survey of 14,000 people across 14 diverse countries. Its central revelation is that most people do want children—often two or more—even in countries with the lowest fertility rates. However, a significant proportion, including one in five, feel they will not achieve their desired family size.

"The prevailing narratives often present a simplistic dichotomy: either an impending 'population collapse' or an 'overpopulation crisis.' Our report reveals a more nuanced and compelling truth," stated Hind Jalal, UNFPA Iraq Representative. "Fertility rates are falling, in large part, because many individuals feel unable to create the families they want. That, we find, is the real crisis."

According to the UNFPA, the report identifies key barriers preventing individuals from realizing their fertility aspirations. Over half of respondents cited economic constraints, echoing sentiments heard globally, including from young people in Iraq striving for financial security or poor  healthcare access,. Furthermore, one in five people expressed concerns about conflicts, environmental challenges, or the political climate, factors acutely relevant in Iraq given its history of instability.

Furthermore, the UNFPA reaffirmed its universal mandate to uphold reproductive rights and choices for everyone, everywhere. This includes supporting individuals in planning their families and achieving their desired number of children, whatever that number may be. The report advocates for access to quality and affordable reproductive health services, and the dismantling of harmful social norms to enable both men and women to realise their fertility aspirations.

"We must provide the full range of family planning services that enable people to realize those decisions. And we need to work towards a world that is sustainable, a world that is safe and just, a world with lasting peace." added the UNFPA Iraq Representative.

The State of World Population report is UNFPA’s annual flagship publication. Published yearly since 1978, it shines a light on emerging issues in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights, bringing them into the mainstream and exploring the challenges and opportunities they present for international development.

 

PUKMEDIA