Project Goal
After nearly four decades without a full census, Iraq successfully conducted a nationwide population count in November 2024, using 125,000 field workers equipped with tablets. The effort captured detailed demographic, housing, and economic data across the country, resulting in a population count of 46.1 million. The census provides a foundational dataset to support national rebuilding, planning, and equitable resource allocationBusiness Problem Solved
Iraq had no comprehensive census since 1987, due to prolonged conflict, instability, and governance challenges.
Lack of accurate population data limited the government’s ability to:
Allocate resources fairly
Plan infrastructure (schools, healthcare, housing)
Understand demographic and socioeconomic conditions
Prior conditions (war, ISIS control, sectarian violence) made coordinated national data collection nearly impossible
In essence: there was No trusted, current data to guide national planning and investment
Technology Implemented
A fully digital, GIS-enabled census integrating geospatial planning, mobile data collection, and centralized analytics. Technology included ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Enterprise and various spatial analytical tools and field tools for
Defining enumeration areas
Assigning workloads
Monitoring operations
Real-time or near real-time data capture and aggregation
Company Overview
Official name: Commission of Statistics and Geographic Information Systems (CSGIS), Iraq
Government entity under the Ministry of Planning
Responsible for:
National statistics and census execution
Geospatial data management and GIS integration
Recently modernized to combine statistics + geospatial capabilities in a single national authority
Leads national initiatives such as:
Census operations
National spatial data infrastructure (NSDI)
Government-wide geospatial strategy
Return on Investment
Strategic ROI
First authoritative population baseline in decades ? enables evidence-based governance
Equitable resource allocation across health, education, housing
Improved national planning for infrastructure and services
Operational ROI
Digital and GIS approach enabled:
Large-scale execution (125K workers, full nation coverage)
Faster collection and processing vs. traditional methods
Ability to capture rich, multi-dimensional data (housing, damage, economic conditions)
Long-term ROI
Supports rebuilding and development after conflict
Provides foundation for:
Investment prioritization
Public service delivery
Future censuses and statistical modernization
Summary: The census transforms Iraq from data-scarce to data-driven—unlocking better decisions, more efficient investments, and long-term national development