Electronic Advancements Crucial to Iraq’s Population Census Preparations

On Monday, the Chairman and Members of the Ministerial Council for Economy, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Fuad Hussein, visited the Census Operations Room to assess the Ministry of Planning and the Statistics Authority’s preparations for the General Population and Housing Census set to take place on 20th November 2024.

The delegation included prominent officials such as the Ministers of Finance, Industry and Minerals, Agriculture, and Labor and Social Affairs, alongside the Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers, the Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil, and several advisors for economic and legal affairs, as well as Directors-General from various departments.

During the visit, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning Dr. Mohammed Ali Tamim provided a comprehensive briefing on the progress of preparations for the census. He highlighted that substantial work has been accomplished, with significant completion rates achieved in the enumeration processes currently taking place across all governorates.

The head of the operations room and their team also explained the advanced electronic mechanisms employed in the census process. They demonstrated how fieldwork is being monitored through temporal and spatial fingerprints, ensuring the accountability and accuracy of the enumerators’ movements in the field.

National Census Advisor Dr. Mahdi Al-Alaq emphasised the significance of conducting the census electronically, describing it as a crucial advancement that will facilitate the collection of detailed results in a timely manner. He assured that the electronic systems implemented for data protection are highly secure and robust, further enhancing the integrity of the census.

The successful execution of this census is expected to provide vital demographic data that will inform future economic planning and policy decisions in Iraq.

Source: Ministry of Planning