In general, the population of the world increases every year. This increase is natural according to the global standard for population growth, which is set at three percent. The rate of increase varies from a country to another country. This is due to differences in economic levels, family culture, cultural aspects and dozens of other factors. What is remarkable here is the increase in Iraq’s population, which has exceeded international standards and has increased unnaturally. In this article, we want to highlight the growing population of Iraq and its serious threats to the Kurdistan Region in the future.
“Population Statistics of Iraq and Kurdistan Region”
According to the World Bank, the Iraqi Ministry of Planning and the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Statistical Board, the population of Iraq in 2003 was 25,627,362, twenty-five million six hundred and twenty-seven thousand three hundred and sixty-two people. Of these, 4,864,241 were in the Kurdistan Region. However, the population of Iraq in 2024 will increase to (46,118,793) forty-six million one hundred and eighteen thousand seven hundred and ninety-three people. Of these, 6,519,129 live in the Kurdistan Region. That is, between 2003 and 2024, the communities in Iraq, excluding the Kurdistan Region, (18,836,543) eighteen million eight hundred and thirty-six thousand five hundred and forty-three people increased. In contrast, between 2003 and 2024, the population of the Kurdistan Region increased by 1,654,888 people. Thus, the Iraqi communities other than the Kurds, annually (896,978) eight hundred and ninety-six thousand nine hundred and seventy-eight people increased, while the Kurds only (78,804) seventy-eight thousand eight hundred and four people increased.
“This issue poses serious threats to the Kurdistan Region”
Extremely, the increase in the Iraqi population in the near or distant future will leave serious threats to the Kurdistan Region, the most obvious of which are the threat to the Kurdistan Region’s budget, the threat to the Kurdish representatives in Baghdad; which are:-
First: the threat to the Kurdistan Region’s share of the Iraqi federal government’s budget.
Second: the threat to the Kurdish representation in Baghdad.
Third: The threat of this issue to the Kurdish areas outside the Kurdistan Regional Government.
It has believed that another of the biggest problems for the future of the Kurdistan Region is its small population compared to the large population of other parts of Iraq. If for all financial and economic accounts, or any other issues related to the region, by Baghdad according to the population.
