BAGHDAD: Iraq’s population has surpassed 45 million, more than a third of whom are under the age of 15, authorities said Monday after the first nationwide census in nearly four decades. The census conducted over two days last week was the first to cover all 18 governorates since 1987, when dictator Saddam Hussein was in power, with one a decade later excluding the three governorates that make up the autonomous Kurdistan region.

It was repeatedly delayed by years of war and political tensions between factions in the country blighted by sectarian and ethnic divisions. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani announced at a news conference that, based on the preliminary results of the census, the population of Iraq exceeded 45.4 million, including foreigners and refugees.

And while women make up 49.8 percent of the population, "households headed by women represent 11.33 percent” of the total recorded, he said. About 60.2 percent of the population was between 15 and 65, or "of working age”, the prime minister said. Those under 15 years old account for 36.1 percent of the population.

An average Iraqi family comprises of about five members, according to these preliminary results which suggest an annual population growth of 2.3 percent. The northern Kurdistan region said its population stood at more than 6.3 million, including foreigners. The census conducted on Wednesday and Thursday aimed to deliver much-needed up-to-date demographic data for the country, previously estimated to have a population of about 44 million.

The questionnaire looked at the number of people per household, health status, education level, employment status, number of cars and even an inventory of household appliances, so standards of living can be assessed. The results are crucial for determining parliamentary representation, budget allocations and the development of effective public policies in the country grappling with crumbling infrastructure, power cuts, water shortages and outdated roads. The last census covering the entire country, conducted in 1987, reported 18 million inhabitants. – AFP