SafekipediaDemographics of Iraq
Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience
The Iraqi people (Arabic: العراقيون; Kurdish: گهلی عێراق) are people originating from the country of Iraq.
Iraqi Arabs are the largest ethnic group in Iraq, followed by Iraqi Kurds, then Iraqi Turkmen as the third largest ethnic group in the country. Studies indicate that Mesopotamian Arabs, who make up the overwhelming majority of Iraq's population, are genetically distinct from other Arab populations in the Arabs of the Arabian peninsula.
The most spoken languages are Mesopotamian Arabic, Kurdish, Assyrian Syriac and Iraqi Turkmen dialects. The percentages of the different ethno-religious groups of Iraq vary from source to source due to the lack of recent official data.
After several postponements, the latest national census was held on 20 and 21 November 2024, with a total number of 120,000 field researchers who executed the census in all governorates on the set date. The detailed results, announced on 24 February 2025, showed that the Iraqi population had risen to 46,118,793, with 101 Male for every 100 Female. Named the ‘General Population and Housing Census’, it did not include a questionnaire on ethnicity, and was specifically designed to provide official data for developmental and welfare purposes.
Population
Structure of the population
Structure of the population
Structure of the population (17.10.1997) (Official)
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2020):
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1,000,000 | — |
| 500 | 1,005,000 | +0.00% |
| 1000 | 2,000,000 | +0.14% |
| 1500 | 1,000,000 | −0.14% |
| 1700 | 1,000,000 | +0.00% |
| 1800 | 1,000,000 | +0.00% |
| 1901 | 2,470,000 | +0.90% |
| 1955 | 6,502,657 | +1.81% |
| 1960 | 7,289,760 | +2.31% |
| 1965 | 8,375,790 | +2.82% |
| 1970 | 9,917,983 | +3.44% |
| 1975 | 11,684,590 | +3.33% |
| 1980 | 13,653,354 | +3.16% |
| 1985 | 15,555,800 | +2.64% |
| 1990 | 17,419,113 | +2.29% |
| 1995 | 20,149,338 | +2.95% |
| 2000 | 23,497,585 | +3.12% |
| 2005 | 26,922,284 | +2.76% |
| 2010 | 29,741,976 | +2.01% |
| 2015 | 35,572,261 | +3.64% |
| 2020 | 40,222,493 | +2.49% |
| 2024 | 46,118,793 | +3.48% |
| Sources: before 1955: after 1955: | ||
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 10,987,252 | 11,058,992 | 22,046,244 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 1,907,322 | 1,862,248 | 3,769,570 | 17.10 |
| 5–9 | 1,688,130 | 1,627,076 | 3,315,206 | 15.04 |
| 10–14 | 1,421,683 | 1,363,313 | 2,784,996 | 12.63 |
| 15–19 | 1,290,386 | 1,243,525 | 2,533,911 | 11.49 |
| 20–24 | 1,016,867 | 1,025,804 | 2,042,671 | 9.27 |
| 25–29 | 847,383 | 872,810 | 1,720,193 | 7.80 |
| 30–34 | 679,211 | 708,439 | 1,387,650 | 6.29 |
| 35–39 | 412,940 | 484,993 | 897,933 | 4.07 |
| 40–44 | 428,413 | 453,425 | 881,838 | 4.00 |
| 45–49 | 326,666 | 349,381 | 676,047 | 3.07 |
| 50–54 | 263,237 | 255,955 | 519,192 | 2.36 |
| 55–59 | 214,561 | 208,597 | 423,158 | 1.92 |
| 60–64 | 134,527 | 156,316 | 290,843 | 1.32 |
| 65–69 | 123,136 | 146,658 | 269,794 | 1.22 |
| 70–74 | 81,818 | 110,811 | 192,629 | 0.87 |
| 75–79 | 54,984 | 68,775 | 123,759 | 0.56 |
| 80-84 | 38,137 | 45,719 | 83,856 | 0.38 |
| 85+ | 31,951 | 46,389 | 78,340 | 0.36 |
| Unknown | 25,900 | 28,758 | 54,658 | 0.25 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
| 0–14 | 5,017,135 | 4,852,637 | 9,869,772 | 44.77 |
| 15–64 | 5,614,191 | 5,759,245 | 11,373,436 | 51.59 |
| 65+ | 330,026 | 418,352 | 748,378 | 3.39 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 20 135 407 | 19 719 025 | 39 854 432 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 3 001 938 | 2 845 630 | 5 847 568 | 14.67 |
| 5–9 | 2 801 593 | 2 637 323 | 5 438 915 | 13.65 |
| 10–14 | 2 503 802 | 2 337 380 | 4 841 183 | 12.15 |
| 15–19 | 2 196 837 | 2 075 647 | 4 272 484 | 10.72 |
| 20–24 | 1 918 965 | 1 770 996 | 3 689 961 | 9.26 |
| 25–29 | 1 505 098 | 1 463 422 | 2 968 520 | 7.45 |
| 30–34 | 1 317 918 | 1 356 230 | 2 674 148 | 6.71 |
| 35–39 | 1 123 350 | 1 184 338 | 2 307 688 | 5.79 |
| 40–44 | 1 059 298 | 1 073 442 | 2 132 741 | 5.35 |
| 45–49 | 782 854 | 806 097 | 1 588 951 | 3.99 |
| 50–54 | 461 586 | 574 816 | 1 036 401 | 2.60 |
| 55–59 | 524 741 | 549 131 | 1 073 872 | 2.69 |
| 60–64 | 361 381 | 394 984 | 756 365 | 1.90 |
| 65-69 | 237 890 | 247 820 | 485 710 | 1.22 |
| 70-74 | 155 203 | 156 175 | 311 378 | 0.78 |
| 75-79 | 81 749 | 98 501 | 180 250 | 0.45 |
| 80+ | 101 202 | 147 093 | 248 296 | 0.62 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
| 0–14 | 8 307 333 | 7 820 333 | 16 127 666 | 40.47 |
| 15–64 | 11 252 030 | 11 249 103 | 22 501 133 | 56.46 |
| 65+ | 576 044 | 649 589 | 1 225 633 | 3.08 |
Vital statistics
UN estimates (based on UN WPP Revision 2024)
View source data.
View source data.
View source data.
View source data.
Total fertility rate
Life expectancy at birth
Average life expectancy at birth of the total population.
The tables show important details about the population of Iraq, such as how many people live there, how the number of people changes over time, and how long people live on average. These details help us understand how the country is growing and changing.
| Year | Live births per year | Deaths per year | Natural change | CBR1 | CDR1 | NC1 | IMR1 | Total fertility rate | Life expectancy (years) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 259,000 | 142,000 | 117,000 | 45.7 | 25.1 | 20.6 | 222.0 | 6.20 | 38.98 |
| 1951 | 270,000 | 137,000 | 133,000 | 46.7 | 23.8 | 23.0 | 210.2 | 6.40 | 40.65 |
| 1952 | 293,000 | 136,000 | 157,000 | 49.4 | 23.0 | 26.4 | 199.1 | 6.84 | 42.20 |
| 1953 | 297,000 | 134,000 | 163,000 | 48.8 | 22.0 | 26.8 | 188.5 | 6.84 | 43.71 |
| 1954 | 297,000 | 130,000 | 167,000 | 47.6 | 20.8 | 26.7 | 178.5 | 6.76 | 45.21 |
| 1955 | 267,000 | 123,000 | 144,000 | 41.7 | 19.2 | 22.5 | 169.0 | 6.00 | 46.58 |
| 1956 | 271,000 | 117,000 | 154,000 | 41.4 | 17.8 | 23.6 | 160.1 | 6.00 | 47.88 |
| 1957 | 220,000 | 107,000 | 113,000 | 32.9 | 16.0 | 16.9 | 151.6 | 4.80 | 49.21 |
| 1958 | 224,000 | 101,000 | 123,000 | 32.9 | 14.8 | 18.1 | 143.7 | 4.80 | 50.41 |
| 1959 | 252,000 | 101,000 | 151,000 | 36.4 | 14.6 | 21.8 | 136.3 | 5.30 | 51.03 |
| 1960 | 257,000 | 98,000 | 159,000 | 36.3 | 13.9 | 22.4 | 129.4 | 5.30 | 52.62 |
| 1961 | 289,000 | 100,000 | 189,000 | 39.7 | 13.8 | 26.0 | 123.1 | 5.80 | 53.41 |
| 1962 | 352,000 | 105,000 | 247,000 | 47.1 | 14.0 | 33.0 | 117.2 | 6.87 | 54.33 |
| 1963 | 363,000 | 109,000 | 254,000 | 46.9 | 14.0 | 32.8 | 111.8 | 6.90 | 54.95 |
| 1964 | 373,000 | 110,000 | 263,000 | 46.7 | 13.8 | 32.9 | 107.4 | 6.93 | 55.63 |
| 1965 | 384,000 | 109,000 | 275,000 | 46.4 | 13.2 | 33.2 | 102.1 | 6.95 | 56.62 |
| 1966 | 395,000 | 109,000 | 286,000 | 46.2 | 12.8 | 33.4 | 97.7 | 6.97 | 57.35 |
| 1967 | 408,000 | 108,000 | 299,000 | 46.1 | 12.2 | 33.8 | 93.5 | 7.00 | 58.37 |
| 1968 | 422,000 | 110,000 | 312,000 | 46.1 | 12.0 | 34.1 | 89.9 | 7.05 | 58.78 |
| 1969 | 438,000 | 110,000 | 328,000 | 46.2 | 11.6 | 34.6 | 86.0 | 7.10 | 59.32 |
| 1970 | 450,000 | 110,000 | 340,000 | 45.8 | 11.2 | 34.6 | 82.6 | 7.08 | 60.19 |
| 1971 | 461,000 | 109,000 | 352,000 | 45.4 | 10.7 | 34.7 | 79.0 | 7.06 | 60.91 |
| 1972 | 471,000 | 110,000 | 362,000 | 44.8 | 10.4 | 34.4 | 76.0 | 7.01 | 61.39 |
| 1973 | 481,000 | 109,000 | 372,000 | 44.3 | 10.0 | 34.2 | 73.0 | 6.96 | 62.03 |
| 1974 | 492,000 | 117,000 | 375,000 | 43.7 | 10.4 | 33.4 | 70.4 | 6.93 | 60.90 |
| 1975 | 500,000 | 116,000 | 384,000 | 43.0 | 10.0 | 33.0 | 67.7 | 6.88 | 61.46 |
| 1976 | 508,000 | 108,000 | 400,000 | 42.3 | 9.0 | 33.3 | 64.6 | 6.81 | 63.72 |
| 1977 | 516,000 | 108,000 | 408,000 | 41.6 | 8.7 | 32.9 | 62.1 | 6.75 | 64.23 |
| 1978 | 525,000 | 110,000 | 416,000 | 41.0 | 8.5 | 32.4 | 59.8 | 6.69 | 64.40 |
| 1979 | 536,000 | 110,000 | 426,000 | 40.4 | 8.3 | 32.1 | 57.7 | 6.63 | 64.79 |
| 1980 | 546,000 | 128,000 | 418,000 | 40.0 | 9.4 | 30.6 | 55.7 | 6.57 | 61.50 |
| 1981 | 560,000 | 143,000 | 417,000 | 39.8 | 10.1 | 29.6 | 53.8 | 6.51 | 59.33 |
| 1982 | 573,000 | 143,000 | 429,000 | 39.5 | 9.9 | 29.6 | 52.1 | 6.45 | 59.73 |
| 1983 | 586,000 | 144,000 | 442,000 | 39.4 | 9.7 | 29.7 | 50.5 | 6.39 | 60.06 |
| 1984 | 607,000 | 147,000 | 460,000 | 39.5 | 9.6 | 29.9 | 49.1 | 6.33 | 60.22 |
| 1985 | 620,000 | 148,000 | 472,000 | 39.1 | 9.3 | 29.7 | 47.7 | 6.25 | 60.68 |
| 1986 | 626,000 | 149,000 | 477,000 | 38.8 | 9.2 | 29.6 | 46.4 | 6.18 | 60.87 |
| 1987 | 642,000 | 151,000 | 491,000 | 38.5 | 9.0 | 29.5 | 45.3 | 6.10 | 61.18 |
| 1988 | 662,000 | 184,000 | 477,000 | 38.8 | 10.8 | 28.0 | 49.2 | 6.02 | 57.47 |
| 1989 | 683,000 | 187,000 | 495,000 | 39.1 | 10.7 | 28.4 | 53.3 | 5.94 | 58.24 |
| 1990 | 713,606 | 195,036 | 518,570 | 40.6 | 11.1 | 29.5 | 52.2 | 5.93 | 57.59 |
| 1991 | 709,928 | 159,782 | 550,146 | 40.0 | 9.0 | 31.0 | 46.2 | 5.82 | 61.34 |
| 1992 | 722,490 | 130,586 | 591,904 | 39.5 | 7.1 | 32.4 | 41.1 | 5.72 | 65.34 |
| 1993 | 740,741 | 134,050 | 606,691 | 38.6 | 7.0 | 31.6 | 40.3 | 5.61 | 65.31 |
| 1994 | 777,798 | 143,447 | 634,351 | 38.6 | 7.1 | 31.5 | 39.7 | 5.49 | 65.03 |
| 1995 | 791,944 | 148,967 | 642,977 | 38.0 | 6.6 | 31.4 | 39.1 | 5.36 | 64.76 |
| 1996 | 806,382 | 153,509 | 652,873 | 37.5 | 7.1 | 30.4 | 38.4 | 5.25 | 64.62 |
| 1997 | 828,117 | 160,529 | 667,588 | 37.3 | 7.2 | 30.1 | 37.9 | 5.19 | 64.24 |
| 1998 | 846,632 | 162,481 | 684,151 | 37.0 | 7.1 | 29.9 | 36.9 | 5.11 | 64.40 |
| 1999 | 867,442 | 165,274 | 702,168 | 36.7 | 7.0 | 29.7 | 36.3 | 5.03 | 64.53 |
| 2000 | 881,887 | 166,114 | 740,000 | 36.1 | 6.8 | 29.3 | 35.6 | 4.92 | 64.86 |
| 2001 | 895,715 | 165,992 | 729,723 | 35.5 | 6.5 | 29.0 | 34.9 | 4.80 | 65.29 |
| 2002 | 904,796 | 165,371 | 739,425 | 34.8 | 6.4 | 28.4 | 34.2 | 4.67 | 65.72 |
| 2003 | 925,338 | 179,174 | 746,164 | 34.5 | 6.7 | 27.8 | 33.6 | 4.53 | 64.83 |
| 2004 | 947,136 | 185,575 | 761,561 | 34.3 | 6.7 | 27.6 | 32.9 | 4.45 | 64.63 |
| 2005 | 964,267 | 187,649 | 776,618 | 33.9 | 6.7 | 27.2 | 32.3 | 4.45 | 64.90 |
| 2006 | 1,000,546 | 203,198 | 797,348 | 35.0 | 7.1 | 27.9 | 31.6 | 4.46 | 64.03 |
| 2007 | 979,591 | 195,477 | 784,114 | 34.5 | 6.9 | 27.6 | 30.8 | 4.40 | 64.43 |
| 2008 | 974,582 | 172,477 | 802,105 | 33.6 | 6.0 | 27.6 | 30.1 | 4.37 | 66.47 |
| 2009 | 1,019,814 | 164,730 | 855,084 | 33.9 | 5.5 | 28.4 | 29.3 | 4.38 | 67.83 |
| 2010 | 1,074,309 | 167,937 | 906,372 | 34.6 | 5.4 | 29.2 | 28.6 | 4.46 | 68.09 |
| 2011 | 1,141,502 | 170,419 | 971,083 | 35.5 | 5.3 | 30.2 | 27.7 | 4.59 | 68.44 |
| 2012 | 1,172,290 | 172,325 | 999,965 | 34.8 | 5.1 | 29.7 | 26.9 | 4.54 | 68.83 |
| 2013 | 1,204,531 | 178,486 | 1,026,045 | 34.1 | 5.1 | 29.0 | 26.2 | 4.44 | 69.05 |
| 2014 | 1,218,190 | 177,446 | 1,040,744 | 33.3 | 4.9 | 28.4 | 25.2 | 4.31 | 69.68 |
| 2015 | 1,185,490 | 177,919 | 1,007,571 | 31.6 | 4.7 | 26.6 | 26.9 | 4.08 | 69.98 |
| 2016 | 1,146,998 | 200,060 | 946,938 | 29.8 | 5.2 | 24.6 | 23.7 | 3.84 | 68.68 |
| 2017 | 1,113,403 | 188,913 | 929,490 | 28.3 | 4.8 | 23.5 | 23.0 | 3.64 | 69.79 |
| 2018 | 1,113,895 | 175,615 | 938,280 | 27.7 | 4.4 | 23.3 | 22.4 | 3.55 | 71.12 |
| 2019 | 1,122,563 | 179,603 | 942,960 | 27.3 | 4.4 | 22.9 | 21.8 | 3.48 | 71.25 |
| 2020 | 1,130,421 | 210,459 | 919,962 | 26.8 | 5.0 | 21.8 | 21.0 | 3.42 | 69.65 |
| 2021 | 1,139,167 | 197,242 | 941,925 | 26.4 | 4.6 | 21.8 | 20.3 | 3.36 | 70.70 |
| 2022 | 1,145,989 | 183,525 | 962,464 | 26.0 | 4.2 | 21.8 | 19.7 | 3.29 | 72.04 |
| 2023 | 1,159,682 | 186,266 | 973,416 | 25.7 | 4.1 | 21.6 | 19.0 | 3.25 | 72.32 |
| 2024 | 1,177,772 | 191,811 | 985,961 | 25.6 | 4.2 | 21.4 | 18.7 | 3.22 | 72.42 |
| 2025 | 1,187,570 | 197,210 | 990,360 | 25.3 | 4.2 | 21.1 | 18.3 | 3.17 | 72.53 |
| 1 CBR = crude birth rate (per 1,000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1,000); NC = natural change (per 1,000); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1,000 births | |||||||||
| Age groups | 1997 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|
| 15–19 | 56.2 | 68 |
| 20–24 | 210 | 187 |
| 25–29 | 276.2 | 221 |
| 30–34 | 257.9 | 188 |
| 35–39 | 196.5 | 136 |
| 40–44 | 101.4 | 56 |
| 45–49 | 31 | 9 |
| Total | 1,128.2 | 865 |
| TFR | 4.3 |
| Period | Life expectancy in Years | Period | Life expectancy in Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950–1955 | 37.9 | 1985–1990 | 64.3 |
| 1955–1960 | 44.9 | 1990–1995 | 67.4 |
| 1960–1965 | 50.9 | 1995–2000 | 69.1 |
| 1965–1970 | 56.4 | 2000–2005 | 68.9 |
| 1970–1975 | 59.5 | 2005–2010 | 68.0 |
| 1975–1980 | 61.7 | 2010–2015 | 69.2 |
| 1980–1985 | 59.0 |
Ethnicity
Main articles: Iraqi people and Minorities in Iraq
Iraq's largest group of people are Arabs, making up more than three-quarters of the country's population.
According to the CIA World Factbook, Iraq is also home to many other groups, including Kurds, Turkmen, Kaka'i, Bedouins, Roma, Assyrians, Circassians, Mandaeans, and Persians. Some numbers about these groups may not be completely accurate because of past issues with how people were counted.
Languages
See also: Languages of Iraq
Arabic and Kurdish are the two main languages in Iraq. Arabic is taught in all schools, but in the north, many people speak Kurdish the most. Besides these, some people speak Eastern Aramaic languages, like Syriac and Mandaic, as well as the Iraqi Turkmen dialect. There are also other languages spoken by small groups, including some from the languages of the Caucasus.
Religions
Main articles: Religion in Iraq, Islam in Iraq, and Christianity in Iraq
Most people in Iraq follow Islam. About 61% are Shia Muslims, and about 34% are Sunni Muslims. Christianity makes up about 2% of the population, with the rest practicing other religions like Yazidism or Mandaeism.
In 2015, estimates showed that around 95-98% of Iraqis were Muslim, with most being either Shia or Sunni. The number of Christians in Iraq has decreased since 2003, with many moving to nearby countries. Most Iraqi Kurds are Sunni Muslims.
Related articles
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Demographics of Iraq, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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