Iraq's first national census in nearly 40 years has a population of more than 45 million

Iraq's first census in nearly 40 years shows the country has a population of more than 45 million, more than a third of whom are under the age of 15.

Iraq held a two-day census last week, the first to cover all 18 provinces since 1987, Agence France-Presse reported. Prime Minister Soudani announced at a press conference Monday that according to the preliminary results of the census, Iraq's population has exceeded 45.4 million, including foreigners and refugees.

Soudani said that while women made up 49.8 percent of the population, "female-headed households" accounted for only 11.33 percent of the total registered. In addition, about 60.2% of the population is between the ages of 15 and 65, i.e. of legal working age; The proportion of the population under the age of 15 was 36.1%.

According to these preliminary results, the average Iraqi family has about five members and the annual population growth rate is 2.3 percent.

The census has been repeatedly delayed by years of war in Iraq, as well as political tensions caused by sectarian and ethnic divisions. The most recent national census, conducted in 1987, showed that Iraq had a total of 18 million inhabitants.

Before the census, Iraq's population was estimated at around 44 million.

The census questionnaires ask about the number of people in each household, their health status, education level, employment status, number of cars and even a list of household appliances in order to assess the standard of living of the population.

The results of the census are crucial for determining representation in the Iraqi parliament, allocating budgets and developing effective public policies, as well as for addressing Iraq's ageing infrastructure, power cuts, water shortages and poorly maintained roads.