Measuring and Analyzing the Impact of population Growth on the Economic Dimension of Sustainable Development in Iraq for the period(2000-2023)

High population growth is a major global threat to sustainable development, posing negative economic effects by potentially undermining production and conflicting with consumption rates, underscoring the vital need to balance current resource utilization with the rights of future generations. The study addresses the problem of quantifying the impact of population growth on the economic dimension of sustainable development in Iraq during the period (2000-2023), specifically aiming to analyze the effect of population growth changes on GDP per capita. The research utilized a quantitative approach employing the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model on quarterly data to measure the relationship between population growth and the economic dimension, along with other explanatory variables: government spending, inflation, and gross fixed capital formation. The main findings revealed that population growth has a negative and significant long-term impact on GDP per capita, confirming it as a major challenge to sustainable economic development in Iraq, whereas government spending was positive and inflation was negative. Consequently, the study concludes by recommending the formulation and implementation of integrated policies to tackle population growth challenges, promote effective investment, and combat inflation to achieve the desired sustainable development.