The Preliminary results of the census were in line with international expectations : UNFPA advisor

Baghdad-INA
 
The advisor to the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA Mahdi Al-Alaq, confirmed on Monday, that the initial results of the population census were in line with international expectations, while pointing to the aspiration to complete the subsequent stages of the population census.
 
Al-Alaq said, in a speech during the announcement of the initial results of the General Population and Housing Census for the year 2024, followed by the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "The population census was completed with all accuracy and efficiency, in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund, which is the main international partner in supporting the implementation of population censuses around the world. Preparations for this census began about two years ago, as work was done jointly between the Ministry of Planning and the General Authority for Statistics and Geographic Information Systems, following up on all the preliminary activities and meetings," praising the "high quality and seriousness that appeared during this period."
 
 
He pointed out that "the population census was carried out with the attendance and close follow-up of the government, including Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and Minister of Planning Mohammed Ali Tamim, who participated in monitoring the progress of the census over four consecutive days," noting that "the census was carried out using tablets carried by the enumerators, which allowed the data to be transferred directly to the Statistics Authority's data center, which contributed to ensuring transparency and high accuracy without any manual intervention."
 
“The preliminary results of the census were largely consistent with international expectations that the United Nations relies on for population estimates,” Al-Alaq added. “The results showed that the population growth rate in Iraq reached 2.3%, reflecting changes in fertility patterns in the country. The results also showed stability in the distribution of the population between urban and rural areas, as there was a noticeable balance between the numbers of males and females, with a slight increase in the number of males compared to females, which is in line with global rates.”
 
Al-Alaq stressed that "the accuracy of the census results will be very high, as it is expected to reach 95%, which is one of the highest accuracy rates recorded in population censuses worldwide."