Iraq will impose a two-day curfew in November to conduct its first national census since 1997, marking the first such effort since the fall of Saddam Hussein.
Prime Minister Mohamed Shia’ al-Sudani announced that the curfew will be in effect across all Iraqi provinces on November 20 and 21 to facilitate the nationwide population count.
The 1997 census, the last to be conducted, did not include the three northern provinces that now form the autonomous Kurdistan Region.
Iraq’s population is currently estimated to be around 46 million.
Iraq, which has been plagued by prolonged conflict and violence, previously delayed several planned censuses, including one in 2010 due to territorial disputes.
Historically, Iraq held censuses every decade but was unable to do so in 2007 due to sectarian violence.
Although Iraq has achieved a degree of stability in recent years, it continues to grapple with intermittent violence and political challenges.
This upcoming census will be the first since Saddam Hussein’s regime.
