National Census Reveals Increase in Kurdistan Region’s Share in Budget

Kurdistan 01:28 PM - 2024-11-28

Kurdistan Region map.

A few days ago, Iraq conducted its general population and housing census, and it was announced that the country's population has reached 45 million, 407 thousand, and 895 people. Of this, the population of the Kurdistan Region stands at 6 million, 370 thousand, and 688 people, or 14.3% of Iraq's total population. This increase in the Region's population share is expected to have a significant impact on the allocation of the Kurdistan Region's portion of the federal budget.

 

Increase in the Region's Budget Share

Dr. Bryar Rashid, a Member of the Iraqi parliament from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) bloc, told PUKMEDIA that the rise in the Kurdistan Region's population will likely lead to an increase in its share of the federal budget, from 12.67% to 14.3%.

He further explained that this increase will impact various aspects of the Region's budget, including the sovereign budget, government expenses, healthcare, regional development, and food provisions.

Dr. Rashid also pointed out that this change will influence all matters related to the Kurdistan Region’s entitlements within the federal government, and he stressed that the federal government must adjust the Region's share following the results of the general census.

 

Impact on the Regional Development Budget

Karwan Yarwais, a member of the Iraqi parliament from the PUK bloc, told PUKMEDIA that the population increase in the Kurdistan Region will affect its regional development budget, potentially enabling the Region to benefit from a larger share in the future.

However, he noted that, at present, the Region's share of the budget remains fixed at the current level, and it will take time for this increase to be reflected in the actual allocation.

 

Kurdistan's Share of the Federal Budget

 

An analysis by PUKMEDIA revealed that the Kurdistan Region's current share of the budget is 12.67%, amounting to 20 trillion dinars annually. If the new census figure of 14.3% is adopted, the Kurdistan Region's share could increase to over 22 trillion dinars.

The general population census, which took place over three days across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, commenced on the morning of Wednesday, 20th November, and concluded on the evening of Friday, 22nd November, with enumerators visiting each family to collect and verify data.



PUKMEDIA