#Religion #Iraqi #Citizens #Percentage #Dominated #Shia #Islam
Shia Muslim pilgrims gather in Karbala for the Arbaeen festival. Photo/Alaa Al-Marjani/REUTERS
BAGHDAD – The religion of Iraqi citizens is dominated by Islam which is divided into Shia and Sunni. Currently, Shia Muslims constitute the largest population in the region.
However, in its history, Iraq was led by leaders from Sunni Islamic groups for several decades. Feeling oppressed, the Shiites began a rebellion that broke out in 1991 after the Gulf War.
From there the Shia group began to dominate and the Sunnis began to be pushed out. However, the percentage of Shiites and Sunnis in this country is not as far apart as the percentage of Shiites and Sunnis in Iran.
Religious Percentage of Iraqi Citizens
The Iraqi Ministry of Planning estimates that the population will reach 42.2 million in 2022. Meanwhile, for the percentage of religion in the country, the latest source is obtained from government statistical data in 2015.
According to Iraqi Government statistics, as many as 98% of the country’s citizens embrace Islam. Of this total, Shia Muslims make up 55 to 60%, while Sunni Muslims make up around 40% of the Muslim population.
A survey conducted by ABC News found that between 47% and 51% of the Iraqi population identified themselves as Shiites between 2007 and 2009.
Meanwhile, a Pew Research survey conducted in Iraq at the end of 2011 found that 51% of Iraqi Muslims said they were Shia, compared to 42% who said they were Sunni.
According to Christian leaders as well as NGO and media reports, fewer than 150,000 Christians still live in Iraq or about 1% of the total population.
