This survey represents the fourth round of the Multiple Cluster Indicator Survey (MICS4) carried out in Iraq. MICS4 surveys have been conducted in around fifty countries throughout the world. The sample of the survey was designed to cover all districts (118) and governorates (18), urban and rural areas, with a total sample size of 36,580 households. The objective of the survey is to provide up-to-date information for assessing the situation of children and women in Iraq, which will be used for monitoring progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, the goals of A World Fit for Children (WFFC), and the national goals. In each of the interviewed households, information was collected on the sex and age of all household members, a total of 230,000 persons. Their access to water and sanitation, education levels, child labour, methods used to discipline children, salt iodization, and other living conditions were registered. More than 55,000 women 15-49 years living in those households were interviewed to obtain information on marriage, child mortality, contraception, FGM/C, maternal and newborn health, attitudes towards domestic violence, practices and knowledge related to HIV/AIDS. The mothers or caretakers of more than 36,000 children under five years were interviewed to collect information on birth registration, child development, immunization, breastfeeding, vitamin A supplementation, care of illness, and anthropometry. Despite the remarkable differences in the levels of security and access throughout Iraq's territory, MICS4 has been conducted under the leadership of the two organizations: the Central Statistics Organization and the Kurdistan Regional Statistics Office. The location of interviewed households was registered using GPS devices, which will help identifying children living in the most disadvantaged communities.
