Iraq holds its first census in 40 years

Iraq fireA rescuer walks through the rubble of the destroyed wedding hall. [Standard. ]

Iraq is holding its first nationwide census in nearly four decades this week, a long-awaited count in a nation blighted by sectarian and ethnic divisions.

The census is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, and will provide sorely needed up-to-date demographic data for the country which has an estimated population of around 44 million.

It will be the first census to cover all 18 governorates since 1987, when dictator Saddam Hussein was in power, following repeated delays caused by years of war and political tensions between factions.

"More generally across the country, parliamentary representation will change," said Hamzeh Hadad, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

With one Member of Parliament allocated by the constitution per 100,000 Iraqis, "having an official census will mean the numbers will have to be adjusted" based on the new demographic breakdown, he said.

A count in 1997 excluded the three northern provinces that make up the autonomous Kurdistan region.

The upcoming census has reignited tensions between Baghdad and Kurdistan over disputed territories in the north. The census includes religion but does not differentiate between sects, such as Sunni and Shiite Muslims, and, unlike previous counts, it excludes ethnicity.

"There are some crucial details in this census that might be missing to appease all sides to finally allow it to take place," Hadad added.