Population Surge In Iraq Poses Challenges For Sustainable Future

Population Surge In Iraq Poses Challenges For Sustainable Future

Population growth is causing a rapid and profound demographic shift in Iraq as the West Asian Republic continues to record over a million births each year.

According to the United Nations Population Division (UNPD), Iraq’s population growth rate in 2023 stood at 2.27%, with the country’s current population at 46.3 million. Projections suggest that Iraq’s population will more than double by the end of 2085.

Experts are warning that the population surge in Iraq poses a number of complex and pressing challenges and the government is being urged to quickly develop strategies to accommodate this growth.

Ministry spokesperson Abdul Zahra Al-Hindawi indicated that preparations are underway for Iraq’s upcoming population and housing census, scheduled for November 2024, and that continued population growth would necessitate proactive measures in order to manage the overpopulation crisis.

But despite efforts to track population growth, concerns remain about its long-term impact.

According to the UNPD, 68% of the Arab world’s population resides in six of 22 countries, and Iraq is one of them.

Despite the Ministry of Planning’s reassurances that Iraq is simply experiencing ‘natural growth’, social researcher Amal Al-Kabaiyshi has raised alarm bells about the country’s escalating birth rates. He warns of an imminent population explosion that could lead to a severe humanitarian crisis in the absence of adequate infrastructure and economic resources.

In an interview with Shafaq News Agency, Al-Kabaiyshi emphasised that despite government efforts to regulate birth rates and promote family planning policies, the increase in births has persisted over the last two decades.

“This trend necessitates a comprehensive societal approach, including heightened awareness, accessible reproductive health services, specialised healthcare centers, and a clear governmental vision prioritising family planning,” said Al-Kabaiyshi.

One of the immediate impacts of the population surge in Iraq is the strain on infrastructure, particularly in densely populated areas such as Baghdad, where overcrowding in the capital has led to water scarcity and sanitation problems. High birth rates are also exacerbating unemployment and poverty levels, especially in the southern governorates of Maysan, Dhi Qar, Muthanna, and Basra, where there are already limited job opportunities.

Environmental degradation is also a concern stemming from Iraq’s population growth. Rising demand for agricultural land and increasing water scarcity are contributing to desertification, putting greater pressure on the country’s natural resources. With Iraq’s agricultural capacity diminishing, there is an increasing reliance on food imports, posing a signifiant security threat to the country.

Economic researcher Omar Al-Halbousi urges the need for birth control to “mitigate the risks of a population explosion”, which he describes as a “multi-faceted danger threatening Iraq’s stability.”

Failure to act, warns Al-Halbousi, “could lead to dire consequences for Iraq’s economic, financial, and social well-being, exacerbated by the ongoing population growth trends.”

At the time of writing, the population of the Iraq sits at approximately 46.355 million, an 88% per cent increase since 2000. The fertility rate (average number of births per mother) is currently at 3.34.

Submitted by Friends of Retha


The Message is the ground-breaking debut novel by Yan Vana, a thought-provoking and critically acclaimed debut that will change the way you think about overpopulation and the near future of earth.