The great majority of the population are subsistence farmers practicing some degree of localized transhumance. Wheat and barley are the two primary cereals grown. Of secondary importance are rice, peas, lentils, and garden vegetables. Tobacco is the main cash crop. Of the domestic animals, goats and sheep are most important for their hair, wool, and dairy products, while cattle are kept as work animals for plowing and harvesting.
Horses are few in number since they are luxury animals, owned primarily by the wealthy.
The basic diet centers around bread, dairy products, dates, tea, and meat. The wealthy are able to afford a more varied diet and consume more rice, meat, and fruits. Pork and alcoholic beverages are taboo to the Islamized Kurds. The feudal-type village structure is progressively being absorbed into the modern structure of the respective national states. Kurdish towns serve as trade and administrative centers, and have more complex patterns of social relations.