Iraq Population: 39,886,394

Iraq, also known as the Republic of Iraq, is situated in West of Asia and encircles the Mesopotamian plain, east of the Syrian desert, and the northwest section of Zagros mountains. This country has 58 km of narrow coastline at the Northern Persian Gulf. It is split into three areas, a mountainous region, a desert region, and a fertile plain fed by Tigris and Euphrates rivers. About 4.22 million population thrives here in 2020, making it 36th in ranking all over the globe.

Largest Cities in Iraq by Population

Baghdad is the largest city of Iraq by a population of 9.5 million. The subsequent largest cities of Iraq by population are Basra, Mosul, Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Kirkuk, and Hilla.

CITY NAME POPULATION CITY NAME POPULATION CITY NAME POPULATION
Tehran 7,153,309 Qazvin 333,635 Saqqez 151,237
Mashhad 2,307,177 Khorramshahr 330,606 Marvdasht 148,858
Isfahan 1,547,164 Khorramabad 329,825 Rafsanjan 147,680
Karaj 1,448,075 Khomeyni Shahr 277,334 Ilam 140,940
Tabriz 1,424,641 Sari 255,396 Miandoab 132,819
Shiraz 1,249,942 Borujerd 251,958 Shahrud 131,889
Qom 900,000 Qarchak 251,834 Gonbad-e Kavus 131,416
Ahvaz 841,145 Gorgan 244,937 Iranshahr 131,232
Pasragad Branch 787,878 Sabzevar 226,183 Shahr-e Kord 129,153
Kahriz 766,706 Najafabad 223,450 Torbat-e Heydariyeh 125,633
Kermanshah 621,100 Neyshabur 220,929 Semnan 124,826
Rasht 594,590 Nazarabad 213,388 Marand 124,191
Kerman 577,514 Bukan 213,331 Zabol 121,989
Orumiyeh 577,307 Sirjan 207,645 Quchan 111,752
Zahedan 551,980 Babol 202,796 Masjed Soleyman 111,510
Hamadan 528,256 Amol 199,382 Bandar-e Anzali 110,826
Azadshahr 514,102 Birjand 196,982 Baneh 104,799
Arak 503,647 Bojnurd 192,041 Parsabad 101,661
Yazd 477,905 Varamin 179,603 Kuhdasht 100,208
Ardabil 410,753 Malayer 176,573 Bam 99,268
Abadan 370,180 Saveh 175,533 Akbarabad 98,342
Zanjan 357,471 Khowy 175,370 Fasa 98,061
Bandar Abbas 352,173 Bushehr 165,377
Sanandaj 349,176 Mahabad 162,434

Iraq Population History

Around 2 million people fled from Iraq in 2003 because of the invasion of Syria and Jordan. The population has, however, grown steadily despite the war and bloodshed. However, there is a decrease in fertility rate and an increase in the median age in the future.

Year Population Yearly % Change Yearly Change Migrants (net) Median Age Fertility Rate Density (P/Km²) Urban Pop % Urban Population Country’s Share of World Pop World Population Global Rank
2020 83,992,949 1.30% 1,079,043 -55,000 32 2.15 52 75.50% 63,420,504 1.08% 7,794,798,739 18
2019 82,913,906 1.36% 1,113,718 -55,000 30.1 1.96 51 75.30% 62,439,455 1.07% 7,713,468,100 19
2018 81,800,188 1.40% 1,126,305 -55,000 30.1 1.96 50 75.10% 61,425,055 1.07% 7,631,091,040 19
2017 80,673,883 1.39% 1,109,894 -55,000 30.1 1.96 50 74.80% 60,380,188 1.07% 7,547,858,925 19
2016 79,563,989 1.37% 1,071,774 -55,000 30.1 1.96 49 74.50% 59,308,845 1.07% 7,464,022,049 18
2015 78,492,215 1.25% 945,939 -100,469 29.7 1.91 48 74.20% 58,217,032 1.06% 7,379,797,139 18
2010 73,762,519 1.12% 800,034 -115,380 27 1.82 45 71.40% 52,664,138 1.06% 6,956,823,603 17
2005 69,762,347 1.23% 827,788 -9,689 24.1 1.92 43 68.20% 47,575,374 1.07% 6,541,907,027 17
2000 65,623,405 1.33% 836,148 -43,670 21.2 2.4 40 64.50% 42,352,090 1.07% 6,143,493,823 17
1995 61,442,664 1.74% 1,015,289 -179,685 18.6 3.7 38 59.40% 36,488,609 1.07% 5,744,212,979 16
1990 56,366,217 3.55% 1,803,806 299,446 17.2 5.62 35 56.20% 31,672,465 1.06% 5,327,231,061 19
1985 47,347,186 4.14% 1,739,388 401,534 17.2 6.53 29 53.40% 25,278,712 0.97% 4,870,921,740 22
1980 38,650,246 3.38% 1,184,095 80,664 18 6.28 24 49.70% 19,215,536 0.87% 4,458,003,514 22
1975 32,729,772 2.80% 843,181 15,527 18.1 6.24 20 45.70% 14,973,153 0.80% 4,079,480,606 25
1970 28,513,866 2.70% 711,799 10,351 17.7 6.68 18 41.20% 11,751,335 0.77% 3,700,437,046 25
1965 24,954,873 2.64% 609,592 -1,568 18 6.91 15 37.10% 9,250,486 0.75% 3,339,583,597 27
1960 21,906,914 2.57% 522,557 -389 19.6 6.91 13 33.70% 7,390,258 0.72% 3,034,949,748 26
1955 19,294,127 2.42% 434,972 -218 20.9 6.91 12 30.60% 5,895,032 0.70% 2,773,019,936 27

Iraq Population forecast

The current population of Iraq is 39,868,470. The median age is rising from 2020, which is 21.0 to 27.5 by 2050. There is an enhancement in the urban population from 2020, which is 40,222,493 to 70,940,126 by 2050. It’s a contribution to the overall world population. It is variant from 0.52 % in 2020 0.73% by 2050. The rate of growth is anticipated to sustain above 2 percent for the subsequent thirty years.

Year Population Yearly % Change Yearly Change Migrants (net) Median Age Fertility Rate Density (P/Km²) Urban Pop % Urban Population Country’s Share of World Pop World Population Global Rank
2020 83,992,949 1.36% 1,100,147 -55,000 32 2.15 52 75.50% 63,420,504 1.08% 7,794,798,739 18
2025 88,774,776 1.11% 956,365 -40,000 34.2 2.15 55 76.30% 67,760,281 1.08% 8,184,437,460 17
2030 92,663,708 0.86% 777,786 -40,000 36.2 2.15 57 76.80% 71,204,909 1.08% 8,548,487,400 17
2035 95,843,973 0.68% 636,053 -40,000 37.6 2.15 59 77.30% 74,092,307 1.08% 8,887,524,213 17
2040 98,593,620 0.57% 549,929 -40,000 38.6 2.15 61 77.80% 76,665,787 1.07% 9,198,847,240 18
2045 101,032,191 0.49% 487,714 -40,000 39.4 2.15 62 78.10% 78,860,081 1.07% 9,481,803,274 18
2050 103,098,075 0.41% 413,177 40.2 2.15 63 78.00% 80,441,107 1.06% 9,735,033,990 18

Iraq Demographics

Mesopotamian Arabs or Iraqis form 75 percent of the dominant population or ethnic group. Turkmen form 3 percent, Kurds for 17 percent, Persians from 2 percent, and Assyrians form 2 percent of other leading ethnic groups of Iraq. Iraqis descendants from Africa are in the South of Iraq. Arabic forms the official language of Iraq, and about 10 to 15 percent of the Iraqi population speak Kurdish.

Iraq Religion and Politics

95 percent of the Iraqi population follows Islam, 5 percent are Assyrian Christians. Shia Muslims are about 65 percent in this, and 35 percent are Sunni Muslims.

Iraq economy

The oil sector forms the dominant part of Iraq’s economy. It offers around 99.7 percent of earnings at foreign exchange. The country took over the successful development of infrastructure and industrialization like highway and railway construction, irrigation projects and rural electrification.

During the war, however, Iraq encountered a major loss. Post-war, exporting Oil restored the damages. But it again fell post-Persian Gulf war.

Still, Oil is the primary economic sector for Iraq. Petroleum contributes to exports to about 94 percent in the year 2017.

Largest Countries in the World by Population

S.No Country Population (2020) World Population Share (%)
1 China 1,439,323,776 18.47%
2 India 1,380,004,385 17.70%
3 United States 331,002,651 4.25%
4 Indonesia 273,523,615 3.51%
5 Pakistan 220,892,340 2.83%
6 Brazil 212,559,417 2.73%
7 Nigeria 206,139,589 2.64%
8 Bangladesh 164,689,383 2.11%
9 Russia 145,934,462 1.87%
10 Mexico 128,932,753 1.65%