Iraq News Now

By John Lee.

Iraq's Ministry of Planning has announced new population data for Iraq.

According to its Central Statistical Organization (CSO), Iraq's total estimated population of Iraq is now 42,248,883 -- an increase of 2.5 percent on the previous year.

• Males account for 50.5 percent, females 49.5 percent;
• Births during the past year were 1,310,894;
• Deaths were 236,469;
• 40.5 percent are under the age of 15 years;
• The percentage of those of working age (15-64 years) is 56.5 percent;
• The percentage aged 65 years and over fell to a low of 3.1 percent;
• Life expectancy at birth is 74.5 years -- 72.5 years for males and 76.6 years for females;
• 69.9 percent live in urban areas, 30.1 percent in rural areas;
• 9 million people -- 21.3 percent of the total -- live in Baghdad governorate.

(Source: Ministry of Planning)