Iraq Census
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In other languages: Resources[edit | edit source]
Online Resources[edit | edit source]
- Iraq census at National Archives United Kingdom - request images
- "Growth and Structure of Iraq's Population, 1867-1947," by M.S. Hasan. Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics 20, no. 4 (1958): 339-352. Online at: Wiley Online Library
Offices to Contact[edit | edit source]
دار الكتب والوثائق الوطنية
(Iraq National Library and Archive)
Al Rasheed Street
Baghdad, Iraq
Telephone: +9647707405599
Email: iraqnla@googlemail.com
Website
Wikipedia: Iraq National Library and Archive
T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Devlet Arşivleri Başkanlığı
(Presidency of the Republic of Turkey State Archives Directorate)
Gayret Mahallesi 95. Sokak No:3 06170
Yenimahalle/ANKARA
Telephone: (0312) 307 90 00 - (0312) 307 86 40
Email: dab@devletarsivleri.gov.tr
Website - Information for Researchers
Background[edit | edit source]
Within the past few centuries, Iraq has been ruled by the Ottoman Empire (1534-1920), the British (1920-1932), the Kingdom of Iraq (ruled from 1932-1958 by King Faisal and his descendants) and is now governed by the Republic of Iraq since 1958. Information about censuses that were attempted during each of these periods can be found below.[1]
Types of Censuses[edit | edit source]
Iraq Census[edit | edit source]
Iraq census: Search results at the National Archives (UK) includes correspondence about the census and may include an actual copy of the census. These records have not been digitized but can be viewed in person at the National Archives. A copy can be requested on the item page for a fee, or you can use the research service for a cost or hire an independent researcher. This video explains the process of requesting a copy from the archive.
Ottoman Census[edit | edit source]
The earliest census in 1831 primarily focused on males for military conscription and tax purposes. Subsequent censuses in 1844 and 1881-1882 aimed to provide more comprehensive demographic data, including information on all household members. The last major Ottoman census took place in 1905-1906, covering regions like Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula. Some of these census records may be available in the Ottoman Archives in Istanbul (see contact information above).[2]
British Census[edit | edit source]
The censuses aimed to collect detailed information on the population's size, distribution, and composition, including ethnicity, religion, and language. This data was crucial for understanding the demographic landscape of Iraq and for administrative purposes. Correspondence about this census can be found at the National Archives (UK).[3][4]
Iraqi Census[edit | edit source]
After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, The first comprehensive national census was conducted in 1927, shortly after the establishment of the Hashemite Kingdom. This was followed by several other censuses, including those in 1934 and 1947. These censuses aimed to gather demographic data to inform policy and development strategies. After the monarchy was overthrown in 1958 and the Republic of Iraq was established, the Central Statistical Organization of Iraq continued to conduct censuses, with notable ones in 1957, 1965, 1977, and 1987. The most recent census was launched in 2024, marking the first national population and household census in over three decades.
Information Recorded in the Records[edit | edit source]
- Ottoman census: (1844) includes all males in a household (1885 - published in 1908) 80% coverage. Men, women, names, and relationship to head of household.
- British census: Likely contains the area, density, number of occupied dwellings, sex, religion, civil status, and disabilities of the population (based on other British mandatory censuses).
- Iraqi census: Includes total population counts, age groups, gender distribution, social origin, households, and their distribution by governorate.
Strategy[edit | edit source]
- For census records previous to WWI, contact the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey State Archives Directorate in Istanbul for Ottoman records
- British mandate census records (1920-1932) are held at the UK National Archives (a copy) or the original census may be at the Iraq National Library and Archive.
- Census records since 1958 are held at either the Iraq National Library and Archive or the Central Statistical Organization of Iraq.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Iraq," Wikipedia, updated 23 December 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq.
- ↑ Şaşmaz, Musa, "The Ottoman censuses and the registration systems in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries," OTAM Ankara Üniversitesi Osmanlı Tarihi Araştırma ve Uygulama Merkezi Dergisi 6, no. 6 (1995): 289-305, https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/114326.
- ↑ "Mandatory Iraq," Wikipedia, updated 22 October 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandatory_Iraq.
- ↑ Dündar, Fuat, Statisquo: British Use of Statistics in the Iraqi Kurdish Question (1919-1932), Crown Center for Middle East Studies, Brandeis University, 2012, https://www.brandeis.edu/crown/publications/papers/pdfs/cp7.pdf.