In this article, Sardar Aziz examines the census’s omission of ethnicity, sect, and language, interpreting it as an attempt to construct a unified Iraqi identity, though this risks denying the country’s diversity. This exclusion has varying impacts, particularly in disputed areas with demographic shifts due to conflict. The author analyses the census as a political tool shaped by state priorities, reflecting specific agendas that are often disconnected from the country’s social realities.