Population growth in Iraq is down to 2.5 percent as fertility rates fall.

U.N. Population Fund adviser Mahdi Al-Alaq confirmed on Monday that population growth rates in Iraq are declining compared to the past two decades, considering that the current population growth is described as explosive, despite the rate remaining higher than the global average.

Relation, in statements to the official agency, said that the population growth rate in Iraq is about 2.5 percent, but was above 3 percent two decades ago, reflecting a marked decline in the pace of growth over the past few years.

He explained that this decline is linked to a decrease in the fertility rate of Iraq women, noting that birth rates during the 1980s were between 6 and 7 births per woman, while they have now fallen to about 3 births according to the results of the general census.

The link showed that the current fertility rate, despite remaining high compared to the global rate, represents a real decline from previous levels, which contributed to the country's population growth rate falling to about 2.51 percent.

He pointed out that the difference is still apparent when comparing Iraq to the global population growth average of about 1.1 percent, which means that Iraq still records relatively high growth rates, but at the same time is moving towards a gradual decline in population growth.