Salah al-Din: population, jobs, health, schools, poverty and governorate budgets
Salah al-Din is a governorate of Iraq, number 11 of 18 by population. Salah al-Din had an estimated 1,812,822 people in 2023, 4.2% of Iraq's 43,324,018, which makes it 8th smallest of 18 governorates by population. This is an official projection, not a census count.
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Salah al-Din: In 2024 the unemployment rate for people aged 15 and over in Salah al-Din was 9.4%, 4th lowest of 18 governorates and against 13.5% for Iraq.
- Health in Salah al-Din: The Ministry of Health counted 15 hospitals in Salah al-Din in 2023: 11 government hospitals (including specialised centres with beds) and 4 private. That is 0.83 hospitals per 100,000 people, 8th lowest of 18 governorates.
- Education in Salah al-Din: Salah al-Din had 1,461 primary schools in the 2023/24 school year, with 355,555 pupils (46.0% girls) and 17,547 teachers. This covers government, private and religious schools.
- Poverty and living standards in Salah al-Din: 18.7% of people in Salah al-Din lived below the national poverty line in 2024, 9th highest of 18 governorates and against 17.5% for Iraq.
- Government budget and revenue in Salah al-Din: The Salah al-Din governorate government spent 269.8 billion Iraqi dinars on capital (investment) projects in 2024 against an approved 82.5 billion, 327% of the approved amount. It ranks 5th lowest of 14 governorates in the data.
Is the population of Salah al-Din growing?
The official estimate for Salah al-Din rose from 1,767,837 in 2022 to 1,812,822 in 2023, a rise of 2.5%, and by 7.9% since 2020 (1,680,015). The estimate for all of Iraq grew by 2.5% in 2023.
Source: Commission of Statistics and Geographic Information Systems (Ministry of Planning) · saved copyHow many people in Salah al-Din live in rural areas?
The Ministry of Health projects that 54.9% of people in Salah al-Din lived in rural areas in 2023 and 45.1% in urban areas, against 30.1% rural across Iraq. It ranks the highest of 18 governorates for rural share.
Source: Ministry of Health, Iraq (Planning and Resources Development Department) · saved copyWhat is the dependency ratio in Salah al-Din?
In 2024 Salah al-Din had 71 dependants (children under 15 and people over 64) for every 100 people aged 15 to 64, against 65 for Iraq. That is 4th highest of 17 governorates with a published figure.
Source: Ministry of Planning and Commission of Statistics and Geographic Information Systems, with UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) · saved copyHow governorates are governed in Iraq
Kurdistan Region (federal region with 4 governorates). Kurdistan Parliament directly elected; it forms the Kurdistan Regional Government. Own security forces, laws and budget within the federal Constitution.
Every tier of government in Iraq
Other governorates of Iraq
- Baghdad 9,265,213
- Nineveh 4,238,733
- Basra 3,305,189
- Sulaymaniyah 2,457,189
- Dhi Qar 2,380,943
- Babil 2,346,696
- Erbil 2,107,755
- Anbar 2,013,300
- Diyala 1,830,503
- Kirkuk 1,815,834
- Najaf 1,672,312
- Wasit 1,566,789
- Duhok 1,468,805
- Al-Qadisiyah 1,467,127
- Karbala 1,384,941
- Maysan 1,264,427
- Al-Muthanna 925,440
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Sources
- Commission of Statistics and Geographic Information Systems with the Ministry of Education: Primary education statistics in Iraq (excluding the Kurdistan Region), school year 2023/2024, tables 5, 6, 8, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0329a6fdef93…)
- Commission of Statistics and Geographic Information Systems (Ministry of Planning): Employment and unemployment indicators: rates by governorate 2014, 2016 and 2024 (household socio-economic surveys), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7895d40228d9…)
- Ministry of Finance, Iraq: Open Budget: Global Budget Trends 2015-2024, approved budget and actual spend by entity (governorates), in Iraqi dinars, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 42a1e38e626e…)
- Ministry of Health, Iraq (Planning and Resources Development Department): Annual Statistical Report 2023 (tables 1-1, 3-4, 3-43, 4-1, 4-11, 4-15, 5-1, 5-3, 5-2, 6-3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b0bd2930683c…)
- Ministry of Planning and Commission of Statistics and Geographic Information Systems, with UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI): Multidimensional Poverty in Iraq 2024: Analytical Report (Table 4, Table 16, Annex 2, Annex 3), based on the Iraq Household Socio-Economic Survey 2023-24, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 2918b603f085…)
- Commission of Statistics and Geographic Information Systems (Ministry of Planning): Demographic and population indicators: population estimates by governorate 2020-2023, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 adcd57959fa5…)
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