Despite the Kurdistan Region now accounting for over 14% of Iraq’s population according to preliminary census results, its share of the federal budget will remain unchanged at 12.67% for 2025, a member of the Iraqi Parliament has confirmed.
Karwan Yarwais, a member of parliament, told Channel8 that the three-year budget laws for 2023, 2024, and 2025 have already been legislated, and no adjustments will be made to the Kurdistan Region’s allocated share.
“The Iraqi budget is fixed for three years, and there will be no changes to the law’s text. Therefore, increasing the Kurdistan Region’s share from 12.67% to 14% is not possible at this stage,” Yarwais stated.
He added that while the government is revising figures such as total expenditures for the 2025 budget, the legal framework will remain intact. The results of the general census, once finalized, will be used as the basis for the 2026 budget and beyond.
According to Mahmood Osman, supervisor of the general census in the Kurdistan Region, the third phase of the census will conclude by December 18. The official results are expected to be announced within two months.
