Demographics & population — Iraq
Population size, age structure, migration, ethnicity, language, education, and health indicators.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Demographics & population at a glance
Population size, age structure, migration, ethnicity, language, education, and health indicators. Key figure for Iraq: 38,872,655
Immigration rules and fees change frequently — confirm current requirements on official government or embassy websites.
Population overview
- Population
38,872,655
- Population Growth Rate
2.29%
- Urban Population
- Population in Major Urban Areas
- BAGHDAD (capital) 6.036 million
- Mosul 1.494 million
- Erbil 1.039 million
- Basra 942,000
- As Sulaymaniyah 867,000
- Najaf 779,000
Age & family
- Age Structure
- Median Age
- Birth Rate - births/1,000 population
28
- Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population
4.65
- Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman
3.5
- Contraceptive Prevalance Rate - female 12-49
51.2%
- Contraceptive Prevalence Rate - female 12-49
51.2%
- Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female
Ethnicity & language
- Ethnic Groups
Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5%
- Language Note
The majority of Iraqis speak Arabic, with variations in dialect according to region. Modern standard Arabic is spoken by educated Iraqis and is the written language. Other languages spoken include Chaldean, Armenian, Syriac, Turkish dialects and Persian. English is the most widely used foreign language and is taught in Iraqi schools.
- Nationality Noun
Iraqi(s)
Education
- Literacy - total population
74.1%
- Literacy - male
55.9%
- Literacy - female
24.4%
- Literacy Definition
age 15 and over can read and write
- Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary)
Health & living conditions
- Life Expectancy at Birth
71.14
- Infant Mortality Rate
38.86
- Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births
38.86
- Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births
63
- Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population
.61
- Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population
1.3
- Health Expenditures - percent of GDP
8.3%
- Major Infectious Diseases - degree of risk
intermediate
- Obesity - adult prevalence rate
27%
- Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved
93.9
- Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved
86.2
- Underweight - percent of children under five years
7.1%