At a Glance

• KRG Cabinet Secretary Amanj Rahim has challenged the proposed population share in Iraq’s draft 2027 federal budget.
• The draft reportedly sets the Kurdistan Region’s share at 12.7%, compared with 14.14% in the latest census.
• Rahim argues the calculation conflicts with constitutional provisions and census procedures.
• He has called on Kurdish political parties and representatives to address the issue before the budget is passed.

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A dispute over the Kurdistan Region’s population share in Iraq’s draft 2027 federal budget has raised questions about census calculations and the allocation of federal resources.

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Key Statements and Focus Area

• Constitutional Entitlements: “Article 121, Paragraph 3” of the Iraqi Constitution guarantees the Kurdistan Region a fair share of federal revenues based on its population proportion, Rahim said.
• Census Methodology: “Nowhere did the decision authorize the Federal Ministry of Planning to unilaterally adjust the Kurdistan Region's population percentage.” — Amanj Rahim, KRG Cabinet Secretary
• Focus Area: The dispute centers on how population figures are calculated and how they affect the Kurdistan Region’s share of federal budget allocations.

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Disputed Figures in the Draft Budget

Rahim, who is also a member of the KRG negotiating delegation to Baghdad, said Article 10, Paragraph 1 of the draft 2027 Federal General Budget Law sets the Kurdistan Region’s population share at 12.7%, despite the latest census figure of 14.14%.

He said the difference could affect the region’s financial allocations, development projects, and public services.

According to figures cited by Rahim, the population count used for the region was reduced from 6,519,129 to 5,805,142, a decrease of 713,987 people. He said 220,591 of those removed were foreign nationals who could not be reassigned to other Iraqi governorates, adding that the same deduction method was not applied elsewhere.

Rahim also cited Ministry of Planning figures showing the region’s population share at around 14% in 2018 and 2022, before falling to 12.67% in 2024.

Questions Over Census Procedures

Rahim referred to a November 2024 decision by Iraq’s Federal Council of Ministers that assigned the federal and Kurdistan Region planning ministries, in coordination with the federal interior ministry, responsibility for census operations and comparing the results.

He also raised concerns about the handling of data from disputed territories covered by Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution.

Rahim said census methodologies should be applied consistently across all governorates. He further argued that United Nations standards recognized under Iraqi law require residents of the Kurdistan Region, including internally displaced people, to be included in its population count.

Call for Action Before Budget Approval

Rahim said formal legal challenges to the budget could not be filed before it was passed but called for institutional and legal measures to address the disputed figures while the draft remained under consideration.

He urged Kurdish political parties and parliamentary representatives in Baghdad to adopt a unified position and seek a resolution before the budget was enacted.

“This issue must be addressed legally and scientifically before it is too late and before the budget is passed,” Rahim said. “This is a national matter that directly affects every resident of the Kurdistan Region.”

FYI

Iraq’s federal budget determines the distribution of public spending and resources among federal institutions and governorates, with population figures playing a role in discussions over regional allocations. Disputes over census methodology can therefore have implications for public finances and the delivery of services.

Article 121 of the Iraqi Constitution addresses the Kurdistan Region’s share of national revenues, while Article 140 concerns the status of disputed territories. The legal interpretation of these provisions and the methods used to calculate population shares are central to the disagreement described by Rahim.

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