Iraq Demographics

Population of Iraq (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Iraq

Iraq Population
48,007,437
see live
Yearly Change
+2.10%
Global Share
0.58%
Global Rank
33

Median Age

The median age in Iraq is 21.1 years (2026).

Fertility in Iraq

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
3.13
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in Iraq

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
72.6
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
74.4
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
70.7
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Iraq


Infant Mortality
18.0
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
21.6
(per 1,000 live births)


Iraq Urban Population

Currently, 70.0% of the population of Iraq is urban (33,618,994 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in Iraq is 110 people per km² (284 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 437,367 km² (168,868 sq. miles).

Largest Cities and Urban Centers in Iraq

The 30 largest of 198 cities and urban centers, ranked by population at the census of November 25, 2024 (by Central Organization for Statistics and Information Technology, Iraq).

RankCity or Urban CenterPopulation
1Baghdad7,837,463
2Mosul1,529,384
3Basra1,293,052
4Kirkuk1,249,197
5Erbil1,001,219
6Najaf830,664
7Sulaymaniyah828,850
8Kerbala784,219
9Nasiriyah704,976
10Amara668,356
11Kut506,067
12Hillah470,917
13Dohuk452,967
14Diwaniyah396,257
15Baqubah385,551
16Abu al-Kahsib357,771
17Az-Zubayr351,185
18Fallujah308,457
19Zakhu297,254
20Ramadi295,105
21Al-Hur288,807
22Shatt al-'Arab273,837
23Samawah256,689
24Samarra'203,089
25Ash-Shatrah198,705
26Tal'afar178,457
27Simele152,512
28Tikrit150,628
29Al-Kufah149,217
30Kalar147,530
See all 198 cities and urban centers in Iraq

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.