Kurdish population

The Kurdish population is estimated to be between 30 and 45 million.^[3][4] Most Kurdish people live in Kurdistan, which today is split between Iranian Kurdistan, Iraqi Kurdistan, Turkish Kurdistan, and Syrian Kurdistan.^[5]

Kurds
کورد

Total population
Turkey (14.7 million (18%)) Iran (8.1 million (10%)) Iraq (5.5 million (17.5%)) Syria (1.7 million (9.7%)) Western Europe: 1.5–1.7 million[1][2] Total: 31–32 million
Languages
Kurdish and Zaza–Gorani languages
Religion
Sunni Islam (incl. Sufism), Shia Islam, Alevism, Yazidism, Yarsanism, with minorities of Zoroastrianism, Christianity and Judaism
Related ethnic groups
Other Iranian peoples

Kurdistan

Further information: Kurdistan

The bulk of Kurdish groups in Kurdistan are Sunni (mostly of the Shafi'i school), but there are significant minorities adhering to Shia Islam (especially Alevis), Yazidism, Yarsanism, Christianity and Judaism.^[6][7][8]

Turkey

Main articles: Kurds in Turkey and Kurds of Central Anatolia

Kurdish girl in Mardin Province

According to a report by Turkish agency KONDA, in 2006, out of the total population of 73 million people in Turkey there were 11.4 million Kurds and Zazas living in Turkey (close to 15.68% of the total population).^[9] The Turkish newspaper Milliyet reported in 2008 that the Kurdish population in Turkey is 12.6 million; although this also includes 3 million Zazas.^[10] According to the World Factbook, Kurdish people make up 18% of Turkey's population (about 14 million, out of 77.8 million people).^[11] Kurdish sources put the figure at 10^[12] to 15 million Kurds in Turkey.^[13]

Kurds mostly live in Northern Kurdistan, in Southeastern and Eastern Anatolia. But large Kurdish populations can be found in western Turkey due to internal migration. According to Rüstem Erkan, Istanbul is the province with the largest Kurdish population in Turkey.^[14]

Iran

Main articles: Kurds in Iran and Kurds of Khorasan

Kurdish family in Bisaran, Iran

From the 7 million Iranian Kurds, majority who are Sunni.^[15] Shia Kurds inhabit Kermanshah Province, except for those parts where people are Jaff, and Ilam Province Province; as well as some parts of Kurdistan, Hamadan and Zanjan provinces. The Kurds of Khorasan Province in northeastern Iran are also adherents of Shia Islam. During the Shia revolution in Iran the major Kurdish political parties were unsuccessful in absorbing Shia Kurds, who at that period had no interest in autonomy.^[16][17][18] However, since the 1990s Kurdish nationalism has seeped into the Shia Kurdish area partly due to outrage against government's violent suppression of Kurds farther north.^[19]

Iraq

Main article: Kurds in Iraq

Yazidi pilgrimage to Lalish temple in Iraqi Kurdistan

Kurds constitute approximately 17% of Iraq's population. They are the majority in at least three provinces in northern Iraq which are together known as Iraqi Kurdistan. Kurds also have a presence in Kirkuk, Mosul, Khanaqin, and Baghdad. Around 300,000 Kurds live in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, 50,000 in the city of Mosul and around 100,000 elsewhere in southern Iraq.^{[20][better source needed]}

Kurds led by Mustafa Barzani were engaged in heavy fighting against successive Iraqi regimes from 1960 to 1975. In March 1970, Iraq announced a peace plan providing for Kurdish autonomy. The plan was to be implemented in four years.^[21] However, at the same time, the Iraqi regime started an Arabization program in the oil-rich regions of Kirkuk and Khanaqin.^[22] The peace agreement did not last long, and in 1974, the Iraqi government began a new offensive against the Kurds. Moreover, in March 1975, Iraq and Iran signed the Algiers Accord, according to which Iran cut supplies to Iraqi Kurds. Iraq started another wave of Arabization by moving Arabs to the oil fields in Kurdistan, particularly those around Kirkuk.^[23] Between 1975 and 1978, 200,000 Kurds were deported to other parts of Iraq.^[24]

Syria

Main article: Kurds in Syria

Kurds are the largest ethnic minority in Syria and make up nine percent of the country's population.^[25] Syrian Kurds have faced routine discrimination and harassment by the government.^[26][27]

Syrian Kurdistan is an unofficial name used by some to describe the Kurdish inhabited regions of northern and northeastern Syria.^[28] The northeastern Kurdish inhabited region covers the greater part of Hasakah Governorate. The main cities in this region are Qamishli and Hasakah. Another region with significant Kurdish population is Kobanê (Ayn al-Arab) in the northern part of Syria near the town of Jarabulus and also the city of Afrin and its surroundings along the Turkish border.

Many Kurds seek political autonomy for the Kurdish inhabited areas of Syria, similar to Iraqi Kurdistan in Iraq, or outright independence as part of Kurdistan. The name "Western Kurdistan" (Kurdish: Rojavayê Kurdistanê) is also used by Kurds to name the Syrian Kurdish inhabited areas in relation to Kurdistan.^[29][30][31] Since the Syrian civil war, Syrian government forces have abandoned many Kurdish-populated areas, leaving the Kurds to fill the power vacuum and govern these areas autonomously.^[32]

Transcaucasus

Main article: Caucasian Kurds

Armenia

Main article: Kurds in Armenia

According to the 2011 Armenian Census, 37,470 Kurds live in Armenia.^[33] They mainly live in the western parts of Armenia. The Kurds of the former Soviet Union first began writing Kurdish in the Armenian alphabet in the 1920s, followed by Latin in 1927, then Cyrillic in 1945, and now in both Cyrillic and Latin. The Kurds in Armenia established a Kurdish radio broadcast from Yerevan and the first Kurdish newspaper Riya Teze. There is a Kurdish Department in the Yerevan State Institute of Oriental studies. The Kurds of Armenia were the first exiled country to have access to media such as radio, education and press in their native tongue^[34] but many Kurds, from 1939 to 1959 were listed as the Azeri population or even as Armenians.^[35]

Georgia

Main article: Kurds in Georgia

According to the 2002 Georgian Census, 20,843 Kurds live in Georgia^[36] The Kurds in Georgia mainly live in the capital of Tbilisi and Rustavi.^[37] According to a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees report from 1998, about 80% of the Kurdish population in Georgia are assimilated Kurds.^[37]

Diaspora

There were also many Kurds among the Kurdish diaspora and in Red Kurdistan.^[38][39]

Russia

Main article: Kurds in Russia

According to the 2010 Russian Census, 63,818 Kurds live in Russia. Russia has maintained warm relations with the Kurds for a long time, During the early 19th century, the main goal of the Russian Empire was to ensure the neutrality of the Kurds, in the wars against Persia and the Ottoman Empire.^[40] In the beginning of the 19th century, Kurds settled in Transcaucasia, at a time when Transcaucasia was incorporated into the Russian Empire. In the 20th century, Kurds were persecuted and exterminated by the Turks and Persians, a situation that led Kurds to move to Russia.^[38]

Lebanon

Main article: Kurds in Lebanon

The existence of a community of at least 125,000 Kurds^[41] is the product of several waves of immigrants, the first major wave was in the period of 1925–1950 when thousands of Kurds fled violence and poverty in Turkey.^[42] Kurds in Lebanon go back far as the twelfth century A.D. when the Ayyubids arrived there. Over the next few centuries, several other Kurdish families were sent to Lebanon by a number of powers to maintain rule in those regions, others moved as a result of poverty and violence in Kurdistan. These Kurdish groups settled in and ruled many areas of Lebanon for a long period of time.^[43]: 27 Kurds of Lebanon settled in Lebanon because of Lebanon's pluralistic society.^[44]

European Union

Kurdish demonstration against ISIS, Vienna, Austria, 10 October 2014

Demonstration in support of the independence of Iraqi Kurdistan at Schuman, Brussels, 25 October 2017

Kurdish demonstration against ISIS in Norway, 12 May 2016

Main articles: Kurds in Germany, Kurds in France, Kurds in Sweden, Kurds in Finland, Kurds in the Netherlands, and Kurds in the United Kingdom

The Kurdish diaspora in the European Union is most significant in Germany, France, Sweden, Belgium and the Netherlands. Kurds from Turkey went to Germany and France during the 1960s as immigrant workers. Thousands of Kurdish refugees and political refugees fled from Turkey to Sweden during the 1970s and onward, and from Iraq during the 1980s and 1990s.

In France, the Iranian Kurds make up the majority of the community.^[45] However, thousands of Iraqi Kurds also arrived in the mid-1990s.^[46] More recently, Syrian Kurds have been entering France illegally^[47]

In the United Kingdom, Kurds first began to immigrate between 1974 and 1975 when the rebellion of Iraqi Kurds against the Iraqi government was repressed. The Iraqi government began to destroy Kurdish villages and forced many Kurds to move to barren land in the south.^[48] These events resulted in many Kurds fleeing to the United Kingdom. Thus, the Iraqi Kurds make up a large part of the community.^[45] In 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini came to power in Iran and installed Islamic law. There was widespread political oppression and persecution of the Kurdish community. Since the late 1970s the number of people from Iran seeking asylum in Britain has remained high.^[48] In 1988, Saddam Hussein launched the Anfal campaign in the northern Iraq. This included mass executions and disappearances of the Kurdish community. The use of chemical weapons against thousands of towns and villages in the region, as well as the town of Halabja increased the number of Iraq Kurds entering the United Kingdom.^[48] A large number of Kurds also came to the United Kingdom following the 1980 military coup in Turkey.^[48] More recently, immigration has been due to the continued political oppression and the repression of ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq and Iran.^[48] Estimates of the Kurdish population in the United Kingdom are as high as 200–250,000.^[48]

In Denmark, there is a significant number of Iraqi political refugees, many of which are Kurds.^[49]

In Finland, most Kurds arrived in the 1990s as Iraqi refugees.^[50] Kurds in Finland have no great attachment to the Iraqi state because of their position as a persecuted minority. Thus, they feel more accepted and comfortable in Finland, many wanting to get rid of their Iraqi citizenship.^[51]

From 1994 to 1999, 43,759 Kurds entered Greece illegally and of the 9,797 who applied for asylum 524 were granted it.^[52]

North America

Main articles: Kurds in Canada and Kurds in the United States

In the United States, estimates of the Kurdish population vary from 15,000^[53] to 20,000^[54] to 58,000.^[55] During the 1991 Persian Gulf War, about 10,000 Iraqi refugees were admitted to the United States, most of which were Kurds and Shiites who had assisted or were sympathisers of the U.S. –led war.^[56] Nashville, Tennessee has the nation's largest population of Kurdish people, with an estimated 8,000–11,000. There are also Kurds in Southern California, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Dallas, Texas.^[57]

In Canada, the Kurdish community is 11,685^[58] based on the Canadian Census 2011, among which the Iraqi Kurds make up the largest group of Kurds in Canada, exceeding the numbers of Kurds from Turkey, Iran and Syria. Kurdish immigration was largely the result of the Iran–Iraq War, the Gulf War and Syrian Civil War. Thus, many Iraqi Kurds immigrated to Canada due to the constant wars and suppression of Kurds and Shiites by the Iraqi government.^[59]

Oceania

In Australia, Kurdish migrants first arrived in the second half of the 1960s, mainly from Turkey.^[60] However, in the late 1970s families from Syria and Lebanon were also present in Australia.^[60] Since the second half of the 1980s, the majority of Kurds arriving in Australia have been from Iraq and Iran; many of them were accepted under the Humanitarian Programme.^[60] However, Kurds from Lebanon, Armenia and Georgia have also migrated to Australia. The majority live in Melbourne and Sydney.^[60]

Japan

Main article: Kurds in Japan

The Japanese government has not granted refugee status. While 3,415 Kurds have so far applied for refugee status, none has yet received it.^[61]

Statistics by country

European countries which have official statistics on their Kurdish population.
Dark green: Ethnicity statistics
Cyan: First language statistics
Light green: Other official measures

Autochthonous community

Country	Official figures or estimates	Official figures in %	Further information
Turkey	13,200,000 (1993 MRGI estimate)[62] 14,700,000 (2017 CFR estimate)[1]	—	Kurds in Turkey
Iran	6,100,000 (1993 MRGI estimate)[62] 8,100,000 (2017 CFR estimate)[1]	—	Kurds in Iran
Iraq	4,400,000 (1993 MRGI estimate)[62] 5,450,000 (2015 EPRS estimate)[63]	—	Kurds in Iraq
Syria	1,100,000 (1993 MRGI estimate)[62] 2,500,000 (2011 MRGI estimate)[64]	—	Kurds in Syria

Transcaucasus

Country	Official figures	Official figures in %	Further information
Armenia	56,127 (1989 census)[65] 37,470 (2011 census)d 32,742 (2021 census)[66]	1.7% 1.2% 1.1%	Kurds in Armenia Provinces[67] (2011) Armavir Province 17,063[68] Aragatsotn Province 7,090[69] Ararat Province 5,001[70] Yerevan 3,361[71] Kotayk Province 3,305[72] Shirak Province 763[73] Lori Province 663[74] Gegharkunik Province 144 Tavush Province 44 Syunik Province 26 Vayots Dzor Province 10
Azerbaijan	41,193 (1926 census)[75] 6,065 (2009 census)b	1.8% 0.1%	Kurds in Azerbaijan Administrative Divisions (2009)[76] Lachin District 1,194 Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic 1,321 Samukh District 753 Khachmaz District 603 Ismailli District 498 Yevlakh District 210 Baku 185 Goranboy District 102 Qazakh District 100 Agstafa District 68 Kalbajar District 38 Goygol District 34 Ganja 31 Absheron District 27 Tartar District 27 Shaki District 26 Shamkir District 22 Oghuz District 21 Aghjabadi District 18 Lankaran District 14 Zangilan District 14 Salyan District 9 Sumqayit 9 Dashkasan District 8 Mingachevir 7 Shusha District 3 Gadabay District 1
Georgia	33,331 (1989 census)[77] 20,843 (2002 census)[36] 13,770 (2014 census)[78][79]	0.6% 0.5% 0.4%	Kurds in Georgia Administrative divisions (2014)[80] Tbilisi 12,570 Kakheti 528 Kvemo Kartli 453 Adjara 81 Mtskheta-Mtianeti 74 Guria 17 Imereti 6 Shida Kartli 4 Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti 1 Samtskhe-Javakheti 1
Artsakh	16 (2015 census, ethnicity)[81] 38 (2015 census, mother tongue)[81]	0%
Abkhazia	29 (1989 census)[82]	0%
South Ossetia	2 (1989 census)[83] 1 (2015 census)[84]	0% 0%

Europe

Country	Official figures or estimates	Official figures in %	Further information
Germany	500,000 (1993 KIP estimate)[85] 850,000 (2016 KIP estimate)[2] 1,200,000 (2023 KIP estimate)[86]	—	Kurds in Germany
France	60,000 (1993 KIP estimate)[87][85] 230,000 (2016 KIP estimate)[2] 320,000 (2023 KIP estimate)[86]	—	Kurds in France
Netherlands	30,000 (1993 KIP estimate)[85] 100,000 (2016 KIP estimate)[2] 120,000 (2023 KIP estimate)[86]	—	Kurds in the Netherlands
Sweden	15,000 (1993 KIP estimate)[85] 85,000 (2016 KIP estimate)[2] 120,000 (2023 KIP estimate)[86]	—	Kurds in Sweden
Russia	50,701 (2021 census)[88]	0%	Kurds in Russia
Austria	25,000 (1993 KIP estimate)[85] 80,000 (2016 KIP estimate)[2] 85,000 (2023 KIP estimate)[86]	—	2,133 (2001 census, Kurdish speakers)[89]
Belgium	12,000 (1993 KIP estimate)[85] 70,000 (2016 KIP estimate)[2] 90,000 (2023 KIP estimate)[86]	—	—
United Kingdom	93,174[90][91] (2021 census, excludes Scotland) 66,677[92][91] (2021 census, Kurdish speakers, excludes Scotland)	0.1%	Kurds in the United Kingdom
Greece	1,000 (1993 KIP estimate)[85] 40,000 (2016 KIP estimate)[2] 40,000 (2023 KIP estimate)[86]	—	Kurds in Greece
Norway	2,000 (1993 KIP estimate)[85] 25,000 (2016 KIP estimate)[2] 30,000 (2023 KIP estimate)[86]	—	7,100 (2013 official estimate, Kurdish speakers)[93] Kurds in Norway
Denmark	12,000 (1993 KIP estimate)[85] 25,000 (2016 KIP estimate)[2] 25,000 (2023 KIP estimate)[86]	—	Kurds in Denmark
Italy	25,000 (2016 KIP estimate)[2] 25,000 (2023 KIP estimate)[86]	—	–
Switzerland	14,699 (2012 statistics, Kurdish speakers)[94] 19,401 (2015 statistics, Kurdish speakers)[95] 90,000 (2023 KIP estimate)[86]	0.2% 0.3%	Kurds in Switzerland
Finland	4,340 (2003 annual statistics, Kurdish speakers)[96] 17,270 (2003 annual statistics, Kurdish speakers)[96]	0.1% 0.3%	Kurds in Finland
Romania	3,000 (2006 estimate)[97]	—	Kurds in Romania
Ukraine	2,088 (2001 census)[98] 302 (2014 Crimean census)[99]	0%	Kurds in Ukraine Oblasts (2001)[98]  Luhansk Oblast 470  Crimea 394  Kherson Oblast 296  Kyiv 199  Odesa Oblast 132  Mykolaiv Oblast 119  Dnipropetrovsk Oblast 116  Zaporizhia Oblast 84  Kirovohrad Oblast 68  Kharkiv Oblast 46  Kyiv Oblast 40  Donetsk Oblast 36  Khmelnytskyi Oblast 19  Cherkasy Oblast 15  Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast 11  Vinnytsia Oblast 10  Lviv Oblast 7  Ternopil Oblast 7  Chernihiv Oblast 6  Zhytomyr Oblast 4  Sevastopol 3  Poltava Oblast 2  Rivne Oblast 2  Sumy Oblast 2
Cyprus	1,500 (2006 estimate)[100]	—
Spain	1,500 (2012 estimate)[101]	—
Ireland	818 (2016 census, Kurdish speakers)[102]	0%	Counties (2016)[103] South Dublin 164 Fingal 141 Dublin City 102 Leitrim 89 Westmeath 56 Sligo 43 Cork City 40 Galway City 30 Limerick City and Limerick County 26 Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown 26 Cork County 16 Louth 14 Kildare County 13 Longford County 9 Waterford City and Waterford County 9 Kilkenny 8 Meath 7 Wicklow 5 Clare 4 Laois 3 Wexford 3 Kerry 3 Mayo 2 Donegal 2 County Offaly 1 Tipperary 1 Roscommon 1
Luxembourg	307 (2021 statistics, Kurdish speakers)[104]
Poland	224 (2011 census)[105]	0%	—
Hungary	291 (2001 census) 149 (2011 census)	0%	—
Moldova	130 (2017 statistics)[106]	0%	—
Belarus	126 (2009 census)[107]	0%	—
Latvia	33 (2023 statistics)[108]	0%	—
Bulgaria	128 (1992 census)[109] 147 (2001 census)[109] 105 (2011 census)[109]	0%	—
Czech Republic	222 (2021 census)[110]	0%	—
Bosnia and Herzegovina	28 (2013 census)[111]	0%	—
Estonia	23 (2011 census)[112] 50 (2021 census)[113]	0%	—
Serbia	<12 (2011 census)[114]	0%	—
Lithuania	5 (2001 census)[115] 25 (2010 asylum seekers by ethnicity)[116] 29 (2011 asylum seekers by ethnicity)[117] 8 (2012 asylum seekers by ethnicity)[118] 3 (2013 asylum seekers by ethnicity)[119]	0%	—
Croatia	8 (2011 census)[120][121]	0%	—

Middle East

Country	Est. population	Further information
Lebanon	approx. 294,000 (2017 estimate)[41]	Kurds in Lebanon
Israel	approx. 200,000 (Jews from Kurdistan)[122]	Kurds in Israel
Bahrain	approx. 44,600[123]	—
Jordan	approx. 30,000 (2012 estimate)[124]	Kurds in Jordan
Kuwait	approx. 5,000 (1991 estimate)[125]	—

Asia

Country	Official figures	Official figures in %	Est. population	Further information
Kazakhstan	48,642 (2022 annual statistics)[126]	0.3%	—	Kurds in Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan	13,171 (2009 census)[127][128]	0.2%	—	Regions (2009) Talas Region 5,547[128] Chüy Region 4,544[128] Jalal-Abad Region 1,902[128] Bishkek city 489[129] Osh Region 287[130] Osh city 203[131] Batken Region 194[132] Naryn Region Not stated Issyk-Kul Region Not stated
Turkmenistan	4,387 (1989 census)[133] 6,097 (1995 census)[134]	0.1%	—	Kurds in Turkmenistan Regions (1989) Districts of Republican Subordination 2,272 Ashgabat 1,480 Mary Region 570 Daşoguz Region 36 Lebap Region 29
Afghanistan	—	—	approx. 2,670[135]	—
Uzbekistan	1,839 (1989 census)[133]	0%	—	—
South Korea	—	—	approx. 1,000[136]	—
Japan	—	—	approx. 2,000[137]	Kurds in Japan
Pakistan	—	—	approx. 240[138]	Kurds in Pakistan
Tajikistan	7 (2010 census)[139]	0%	—	—

Americas and Oceania

Country	Official figures	Official figures in %	Further information
United States	28,152 (2016–2021 ACS)[140]	0%	Kurds in the United States
Canada	23,130 (2021 census)[141] 19,185 (2021 census, Kurdish speakers)[142]	0.1%	Kurds in Canada
Australia	10,171 (2021 census)[143] 9,893 (2021 census, Kurdish speakers)[144]	0% 0%
New Zealand	927 (2018 census)[145]	0%

Notes

^b Official Azerbaijani records claim only 6,065 Kurds in 2009,^[76][146] while Kurdish leaders estimate as much as 200,000. The problem is that the historical record of the Kurds in Azerbaijan is filled with lacunae.^[147] For instance, in 1979 there was according to the census no Kurds recorded.^[148] Not only did Turkey and Azerbaijan pursue an identical policy against the Kurds, they even employed identical techniques like forced assimilation, manipulation of population figures, settlement of non-Kurds in areas predominantly Kurdish, suppression of publications and abolition of Kurdish as a medium of instruction in schools.^[148]

^c In the 2010 Russian Census, 23,232 people indicated Kurdish (Курды) as their ethnicity, while 40,586 chose Yazidi (Езиды) as their ethnicity.^[149]

^d In the 2011 Armenian Census, 2,131 people indicated Kurdish (Քրդեր) as their ethnicity, while 35,272 indicated Yazidi (Եզդիներ) as their ethnicity.^[33]

See also

• A Modern History of the Kurds, by David McDowall
• Kurdification

References

1. "The Time of the Kurds". CFR. 4 October 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
2. "Diaspora Kurde (2016)". Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
3. The Kurdish Population by the Kurdish Institute of Paris, 2017 estimate. The Kurdish population is estimated at 15–20 million in Turkey, 10–12 million in Iran, 8–8.5 million in Iraq, 3–3.6 million in Syria, 1.2–1.5 million in the European diaspora, and 400k–500k in the former USSR—for a total of 36.4 million to 45.6 million globally.
4. Based on arithmetic from World Factbook and other sources cited herein: A Near Eastern population of 28–30 million, plus approximately a 2 million diaspora gives 30–32 million. If the highest (25%) estimate for the Kurdish population of Turkey, in Mackey (2002), proves correct, this would raise the total to around 37 million.
5. Gunter, Michael (2008). The Kurds Ascending. New York: Palgrave MacMillan. ISBN 978-0-230-60370-7.
6. Bruinessen, Martin (2000). Kurdish Ethno-Nationalism Versus Nation-Building States: Collected Articles. Istanbul: Isis Press. p. 43. ISBN 978-975-428-177-4. OCLC 46851965. Radu, Michael (2003). Dangerous Neighborhood: Contemporary Issues in Turkey's Foreign Relations. New Brunswick, N.J: Transaction Publishers. p. 17. ISBN 978-0-7658-0166-1. OCLC 50269670.
7. Elling, Rasmus Christian (2013). Minorities in Iran: Nationalism and Ethnicity after Khomeini. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-230-11584-2. OCLC 714725127.
8. Crane, Keith; Lal, Rollie; Martini, Jeffrey (2008). Iran's Political, Demographic, and Economic Vulnerabilities. Santa Monica: RAND Corporation. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-8330-4527-0. OCLC 259715774.
9. "Etnik Kimlikler: Anadil [Ethnic Identitites: Mother Tongue]". Toplumsal Yapı Araştırması 2006 [Social Structure Research 2006] (PDF) (Report). KONDA. September 2006. p. 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-02-15. Retrieved 2016-04-24.
10. Milliyet. "Türkiye'deki Kürtlerin sayısı!". Retrieved 2010-11-13.
11. Central Intelligence Agency. "The World Factbook: Turkey". Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved 2010-11-13.
12. Kurdish PKK chief Murat Karayilan says will spread to Turkish cities if we were attacked by Turkey
13. "Kurdish political rights and its impact on the Middle East economy and Stability. By Hiwa Nezhadian".
14. "En Büyük Şehri, İstanbul" Archived 2011-03-23 at the Wayback Machine, Time Türk, March 25, 2010.
15. "UNPO: Iranian Kurdistan". unpo.org. 9 May 2024.
16. Romano, David (2006). The Kurdish Nationalist Movement. New York: Cambridge University Press. p. 235. ISBN 0-521-85041-X.
17. McDowall (1996). A Modern History of the Kurds. London: I.B. Tauris. p. 270. ISBN 1-85043-653-3.
18. Porter, Ellen; Prunhuber, Carol (2010). The Passion and Death of Rahman the Kurd: Dreaming Kurdistan. iUniverse. ISBN 9781440178153.
19. McDowall (1996). A Modern History of the Kurds. London: I.B. Tauris. p. 278. ISBN 1-85043-653-3.
20. Ghassemlou, A. R. (1993) [1978]. A People Without a Country: The Kurds and Kurdistan. Olive Branch Press. pp. 142–143. ISBN 978-1-56656-114-3.
21. G.S. Harris, Ethnic Conflict and the Kurds in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, pp. 118–120, 1977
22. Introduction. Genocide in Iraq: The Anfal Campaign Against the Kurds (Human Rights Watch Report, 1993).
23. G.S. Harris, Ethnic Conflict and the Kurds in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, p.121, 1977
24. M. Farouk-Sluglett, P. Sluglett, J. Stork, Not Quite Armageddon: Impact of the War on Iraq, MERIP Reports, July–September 1984, p.24
25. Background Note: Syria U.S. Department of State
26. "Syria: End Persecution of Kurds". Human Rights Watch. 26 November 2009. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
27. Ian Black. Syrian human rights record unchanged under Assad, report says, The Guardian, 16 July 2010.
28. Morris, Loveday (9 August 2012). "Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accused of arming Kurdish separatists for attacks against Turkish government". The Independent. London.
29. "Ankara Alarmed by Syrian Kurds' Autonomy". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
30. "Syrian Kurds more a chance than challenge to Turkey, if…". Al-Arabiya. Archived from the original on 15 May 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
31. "Syrian Kurdish moves ring alarm bells in Turkey". Reuters. 24 July 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
32. "Kurds seek autonomy in a democratic Syria". BBC World News. 16 August 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
33. "Information from the 2011 Armenian National Census" (PDF). Statistics of Armenia (in Armenian). Retrieved 27 May 2014.
34. The Peoples of the USSR: An Ethnographic Handbook – P. 117. by Ronald Wixman
35. Mannerheim: Marshal of Finland – P. 210. by Alexandre Bennigsen, Stig Jägerskiöld, S. Enders Wimbush
36. "Ethnic Groups of Georgia: Censuses 1926 – 2002" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 November 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
37. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (1 August 1998). Georgia: Treatment of the Kurds (Report). Refworld: The leader in Refugee Decision Support. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
38. "Kurds". Institute of Estonia (EKI). Retrieved 22 June 2012.
39. Ismet Chériff Vanly, “The Kurds in the Soviet Union”, in: Philip G. Kreyenbroek & S. Sperl (eds.), The Kurds: A Contemporary Overview (London: Routledge, 1992), p. 164: Table based on 1990 estimates: Azerbaijan (180,000), Armenia (50,000), Georgia (40,000), Kazakhstan (30,000), Kyrgyzstan (20,000), Uzbekistan (10,000), Tajikistan (3,000), Turkmenistan (50,000), Siberia (35,000), Krasnodar (20,000), Other (12,000) (total 410,000).
40. РОССИЯ И ПРОБЛЕМА КУРДОВ. rau.su (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2012-02-12. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
41. "Lebanon – Languages". Ethnologue. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
42. A Modern History of the Kurds – Page 485 by David MacDowall
43. Lokman I. Meho; Kelly L. Maglaughlin. Kurdish Culture and Society: An Annotated Bibliography.
44. Lebanon a Country Study – Page 83 by Federal Research Division
45. McDowall 2000, 457.
46. Miller 2000, 101
47. France24. "Illegal migrants sent to mainland". Archived from the original on 2010-01-26. Retrieved 2010-11-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
48. Museum of London. "Belonging: Voices of London's Refugees". Retrieved 2010-11-20.
49. Fadloullah 1994, 36.
50. Wahlbeck 2005, 1004.
51. Safran 2009, 86.
52. ΣΗΜΕΙΩΜΑ: Κούρδοι και Κουρδικό ζήτημα. (PDF) (in Greek). 4 March 1999. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
53. "2006–2010 American Community Survey Selected Population Tables". FactFinder2.Census.gov. Washington, DC: US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
54. The Kurdish Diaspora
55. "Four Waves of Resettlement". Archived from the original on 2011-02-17. Retrieved 2011-04-16.
56. Powell 2005, 151.
57. Kelley, Friedlander & Colby 1993, 156
58. "2011 National Household Survey: Data tables". Statistics of Canada. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
59. Powell 2005, 152.
60. Jupp 2001, 550.
61. "Japan's Kurds often in limbo, despite significant community – The Japan Times". The Japan Times. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
62. David McDowall (1996). "Minority Rights Group International Report – The Kurds". p. 7. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.636.6919.
63. "Minorities in Iraq Pushed to the brink of existence" (PDF). European Parliamentary Research Service. 2015. pp. 3–4. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
64. "Syria – Kurds". Archived from the original on 2 October 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
65. (in Russian) The All-Union Population Census of 1989 Archived 2012-01-04 at the Wayback Machine. Demoscope.ru
66. "The Main Results of RA Census 2022". Retrieved 22 September 2024.
67. "Armenia ethnicity 2011".
68. ՀՀ Արմավիրի մարզ, մշտական բնակչություն (PDF). Statistics of Armenia (in Armenian). Retrieved 27 May 2014.
69. ՀՀ Արագածոտնի մարզ, մշտական բնակչություն (PDF). Statistics of Armenia (in Armenian). Retrieved 27 May 2014.
70. ՀՀ Արարատի մարզ, մշտական բնակչությունի (PDF). Statistics of Armenia (in Armenian). Retrieved 27 May 2014.
71. ք. Երևան, մշտական բնակչություն (PDF). Statistics of Armenia (in Armenian). Retrieved 27 May 2014.
72. ՀՀ Կոտայքի մարզ, մշտական բնակչություն (PDF). Statistics of Armenia (in Armenian). Retrieved 24 July 2014.
73. ՀՀ Շիրակի մարզ, մշտական բնակչություն (PDF). Statistics of Armenia (in Armenian). Retrieved 27 May 2014.
74. ՀՀ Լոռու մարզ, մշտական բնակչություն (PDF). Statistics of Armenia (in Armenian). Retrieved 27 May 2014.
75. Всесоюзная перепись населения 1926 года. Национальный состав населения по регионам республик СССР (in Russian). Archived from the original on 10 February 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
76. "Ethnic composition of Azerbaijan". pop-stat.mashke.org. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
77. Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года. Национальный состав населения по республикам СССР (in Russian). Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
78. "2014 General Population Census Main Results" (PDF). Retrieved 13 May 2016.
79. "Ethnic Composition of Georgia 1926–2014" (PDF). Retrieved 28 December 2017.
80. "Ethnic groups of Georgia – map". CSEM. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
81. Таблица 5.2-1 Население (городское, сельское) по национальности, полу (in Russian). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
82. Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года. (in Russian). Retrieved 2 August 2018.
83. "Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года". Retrieved 2 August 2018.
84. "4.5. Национальности или их самоназвания по самоопределению населения По республике южная осетия" (PDF) (in Russian). p. 128. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
85. Rigoni, Isabelle (1998). "Les mobilisations des Kurdes en Europe". Revue Européenne des Migrations Internationales (in French). 14 (3): 204. doi:10.3406/remi.1998.1654. ISSN 0765-0752. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
86. "Diaspora Kurde" (in French). 5 January 2023. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
87. "L'identité ethnique kurde en France. L'identité kurde s'est lentement construite au cours de l'histoire". Journal des anthropologues. 52: 33. 1993. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
88. "Ethnic composition: 2021 census (data for regions)". Retrieved 7 July 2023.
89. "Bevölkerung 2001 nach Umgangssprache, Staatsangehörigkeit und Geburtsland". Statistics of Austria (in German). Retrieved 11 January 2018.
90. "Ethnic group (detailed)". 29 November 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
91. "Main statistics". Retrieved 7 July 2023.
92. "Main language (detailed)". 29 November 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
93. "Minoritetsspråk i Norge En kartlegging av eksisterende datakilder og drøfting av ulike fremgangsmåter for statistikk om språk". Statistics of Norway. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
94. "Population résidante permanente de 15 ans et plus, ayant comme langue principale: kurde, en 2012" (PDF). Statistics of Switzerland. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
95. "Les langues principales les plus fréquentes de la population résidente permanente âgée de 15 ans ou plus, 2015" (PDF). Retrieved 13 January 2018.
96. "11rl – Language according to age and sex by region, 1990–2022". Statistics Finland. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
97. "Ethnocultural Diversity Resource Center" (PDF) (in Romanian). 2006. p. 36. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
98. "The distribution of the population by nationality and mother tongue". Ukrainian Census (2001). Retrieved 9 July 2012.
99. "Crimea (occupied by Russia) – Ethnic composition: 2014 census". Retrieved 4 February 2018.
100. Σκοπιμότητες πίσω από την απογραφή στα Κατεχόμενα (in Greek). 2 May 2006. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
101. Carmen Gómez Martín (2012). "Transnacionalismo y redes económicas migrantes. El caso del kebab kurdo". El Codesarrollo a Debate (in Spanish): 113–124.
102. "Population Usually Resident and Present in the State who Speak a Language other than English or Irish at Home 2011 to 2016 by Birthplace, Language Spoken, Age Group and Census Year". Central Statistics Office. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
103. "EY026: Population Usually Resident and Present in the State who Speak a Language other than English or Irish at Home 2011 to 2016 by County and City, Language Spoken and CensusYear". Central Statistics Office. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
104. "Linguistic Diversity on the Rise" (PDF). p. 6. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
105. "Tabl. 28. ludność według rodzaju i złożoności identyfikacji narodowo- -etnicznych w 2011 roku" (PDF). Glowny Urzad Statysty (in Polish). 17 January 2014.
106. "Distribution of immigrants by nationality and purpose of arrival, 1993–2016". Statistics of Moldova. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
107. Национальный статистический комитет Республики Беларусь (PDF). Национальный статистический комитет Республики Беларусь (in Russian). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 18, 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
108. "Population by ethnicity at the beginning of year – Ethnicity and Time period". National Statistical System of Latvia. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
109. Димитър Аркадиев (2006). "Списък на етническите названия и брой на лицата, принадлежащи към съответния етнос, отразени в публикациите от преброяванията на населението в България по години". Population Review of the Center for Population Studies (in Bulgarian). 3 (4): 12. ISSN 0205-0617.
110. "Ethnic composition: 2021 census". Retrieved 4 July 2022.
111. "1. Stanovništvo prema etničkoj/nacionalnoj pripadnosti – detaljna klasifikacija". Retrieved 28 December 2017.
112. "PCE04: ENUMERATED PERMANENT RESIDENTS BY ETHNIC NATIONALITY AND SEX, 31 DECEMBER 2011". pub.stat.ee. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
113. "RL21428: POPULATION BY ETHNIC NATIONALITY, SEX AND PLACE OF RESIDENCE (SETTLEMENT REGION), 31 DECEMBER 2021". Statistics Estonia. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
114. "Остали" етничке заједнице са мање од 2000 припадника и двојако изјашњени (PDF) (in Serbian). Statistics of Serbia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 June 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
115. Gyventojai pagal lyti, amziu, tautybe, ir tikyba. 2001 Surasymas (Report). 2002. p. 189. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
116. "Metinė ataskaita 2010 – Migracijos departamentas" (PDF) (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 13 January 2019.
117. "2011 metais – Migracijos departamentas" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
118. "2012 metais – Migracijos departamentas". Retrieved 13 January 2019.^{[dead link]}
119. "2013 metais – Migracijos departamentas" (PDF). Retrieved 13 January 2019.
120. "1. Population by ethnicity – detailed classification, 2011 census". Statistics of Croatia. Retrieved 29 May 2014. Kurds (ethnicity) – 8 persons Mother tongue Kurdish – 4 persons
121. "3. Population by mother tongue – detailed classification, 2011 census". Statistics of Croatia. Retrieved 29 May 2014. Kurds (ethnicity) – 8 persons Mother tongue Kurdish – 4 persons
122. "Why Israel must help the Kurds in Iraq". 1 September 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
123. "Bahrain – Ethnologue". Retrieved 11 March 2018.
124. Mahmoud A. Al-Khatib and Mohammed N. Al-Ali. "Language and Cultural Shift Among the Kurds of Jordan" (PDF). p. 12. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
125. Murphy, Kim (11 April 1991). "Kurds in Kuwait Also Are Treated Harshly : Ethnic conflict: Many have been prevented from returning to their jobs, and some have disappeared". New York Times. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
126. "Ethnic composition of Kazakhstan 2022". Retrieved 7 July 2023.
127. "4.1. Number of resident population by selected nationality" (PDF). Government of Kyrgyzstan. United Nations. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 July 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
128. "Statistical census – Resident population by nationality" Численность постоянного населения по национальностям (PDF) (in Russian). Statistics of Kyrgyzstan. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
129. "2009 population and housing census of the Kyrgyz Republic: Bishkek City" (PDF) (in Russian). National Statistics Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic. 2010. p. 33.
130. "2009 population and housing census of the Kyrgyz Republic: Osh Region" (PDF) (in Russian). National Statistics Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic. 2010. p. 51.
131. "2009 population and housing census of the Kyrgyz Republic: Osh City" (PDF) (in Russian). National Statistics Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic. 2010. p. 26.
132. "2009 population and housing census of the Kyrgyz Republic: Batken Region" (PDF) (in Russian). National Statistics Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic. 2010. p. 47.
133. Demoscope. Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года. Национальный состав населения по республикам СССР (in Russian). Demoscope.ru. Archived from the original on 6 January 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
134. Итоги всеобщей переписи населения Туркменистана по национальному составу в 1995 году.. asgabat.net (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2013-03-13. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
135. "For more than four hundred years, the small Kurd community in Afghanistan has been far removed from its traditional homeland in northwestern Iran. During Persian rule in the 1500s, these Kurd were moved to their present location to serve as border guards against Turk and Mongol invaders. They have been there ever since. " "The Kurdish of Afghanistan".
136. "Kurds in Korea launch ethnic fellowship; Group hopes to raise". Asia Africa Intelligence Wire. 21 April 2003. Retrieved 19 January 2013.^{[permanent dead link]}
137. "なぜクルド人たちは埼玉県南部に集まるのか?". 21 April 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
138. "Iraqi refugees – leading an uncertain life". Dawn. 20 June 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
139. Национальный состав, владение языками и гражданство населения республики таджикистан (PDF). Statistics of Tajikistan (in Russian and Tajik). p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-01-16. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
140. "DP05ACS DEMOGRAPHIC AND HOUSING ESTIMATES". Retrieved 8 July 2023.
141. "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population – Profile table". 9 February 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
142. "Mother tongue by geography, 2021 Census". 17 August 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
143. "Table 2 – Australian Bureau of Statistics". 28 June 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
144. "SBS Australian Census Explorer". Retrieved 8 July 2023.
145. "2018 Census totals by topic – national highlights". Statistics of New Zealand. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
146. "Population by national and/or ethnic group, sex and urban/rural residence". UN data. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
147. An Ethnohistorical Dictionary of the Russian and Soviet Empires, James Stuart Olson, Lee Brigance Pappas, Nicholas Charles Pappas, Greenwood Publishing Group, (1994), ISBN 0-313-27497-5, p.409
148. The Kurds: A Contemporary Overview, Philip G. Kreyenbroek, Stefan Sperl, Routledge, ISBN 0-415-07265-4, (1992), p.204
149. "Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 г. Национальный состав населения Российской Федерации". Demoscope. Archived from the original on 21 May 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2012.

Bibliography

• Ammann, Birgit (2005), "Kurds in Germany", in Ember, Melvin; Ember, Carol R.; Skoggard, Ian (eds.), Encyclopedia of Diasporas: Immigrant and Refugee Cultures Around the World. Diaspora Communities, Volume 2, Springer Publishers, ISBN 0-306-48321-1.
• Baser, Bahar.“Kurdish Diaspora Political Activism in Europe with a Particular Focus on Great Britain.”, Diaspora Dialogues for Development and Peace Project, Berlin: Berghof Peace Support, June 2011.
• Berry, John W. (2006), Immigrant youth in cultural transition: acculturation, identity, and adaptation across national contexts, Routledge, ISBN 0-8058-5156-9.
• Fadloullah, Abdellatif (1994), "Migratory flows from the countries of the South to Western Europe", in De Azevedo, Raimondo Cagiano (ed.), Migration and Development Co-operation, Council of Europe, ISBN 92-871-2611-9.
• Gunter, Michael M. (1997), The Kurds and the future of Turkey, Palgrave Macmillan, ISBN 0-312-17265-6.
• Issa, Tözün (2005), Talking Turkey: the language, culture and identity of Turkish speaking children in Britain, Trentham Books, ISBN 1-85856-318-6.
• Jupp, James (2001), The Australian people: an encyclopedia of the nation, its people and their origins, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-80789-1.
• Kelley, Ron; Friedlander, Jonathan; Colby, Anita (1993), Irangeles: Iranians in Los Angeles, University of California Press, ISBN 0-520-08008-4.
• Koslowski, Rey (2000), Migrants and Citizens: Demographic Change in the European State System, Cornell University Press, ISBN 0-8014-3714-8.
• McDowall, David (2000), A modern history of the Kurds, I.B.Tauris, ISBN 1-85043-416-6.
• Miller, Mark J. (2000), "A durable international migration and security nexus: the problem of the Islamic periphery in transatlantic ties", in Graham, David T.; Poku, Nana (eds.), Migration, Globalisation, and Human Security, Routledge Publishers, ISBN 0-415-18436-3.
• Powell, John (2005), Encyclopedia of North American Immigration, Infobase Publishing, ISBN 0-8160-4658-1.
• Safran, William (2009), "The Diaspora and the Homeland: Reciprocities, Transformations, and Role Reversals", in Rafael, Eliezer Ben; Sternberg, Yitzak (eds.), Transnationalism: Diasporas and the Advent of a New (dis)order, BRILL, ISBN 978-90-04-17470-2.
• Wahlbeck, Osten (2005), "Kurds in Finland", in Ember, Melvin; Ember, Carol R.; Skoggard, Ian (eds.), Encyclopedia of Diasporas: Immigrant and Refugee Cultures Around the World. Diaspora Communities, Volume 2, Springer Publishers, ISBN 0-306-48321-1.