ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq is set to launch a five-year plan aimed at combating poverty, after the results of a recent census showed that over seven million Iraqis live below the poverty line, a spokesperson from the planning ministry told Rudaw. "The plan will take into account multidimensional poverty," said Abdul-Zahra al-Hindawi on Thursday, explaining that beyond financial hardship, the strategy will address access to education, food, health, housing, and income. "In each of these key aspects, policies and measures will be implemented," Hindawi stressed. The plan is expected to go into effect by the end of the first quarter of this year. In late February, the Iraqi Ministry of Planning announced the final results of the country’s first general population census in 37 years, revealing that Iraq’s population has reached 46.1 million. The census, which began in mid-November 2024 with the collection of basic household data, concluded in December with detailed surveys consisting of 70 questions posed by specialized teams. The results showed that Iraq’s population has increased significantly, from 6.5 million in 1957, an increase of 39.6 million people. While poverty rates in Iraq have decreased from 20.5 percent in 2018 to 17.5 percent in 2024, Hindawi noted that the trends vary across different regions of the country. In the Kurdistan Region, poverty has increased in Sulaimani, rising from 4 percent to 8 percent, while in Erbil saw a modest uptick from 6.7 percent to 7.1 percent over the same period. Hindawi attributed this rise to economic conditions, including project shortages and the devaluation of the Iraqi dinar against the US dollar. "There will be actions and measures to support the poor and reduce poverty across Iraq, with good collaboration in this field within the Kurdistan Region," he added. Among Iraq’s provinces, Muthanna remains the poorest, despite a decline in its poverty rate from 52 percent to 40 percent. Babil follows with a 37 percent poverty rate. However, poverty has significantly decreased in provinces such as Dhi Qar, Diwaniyah and Maysan. In Nineveh, poverty rates have dropped from over 50 percent to around 15 percent.
