Iraq Population (1960-2026) & Projected growth

The current population of Iraq is 48,289,334 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 46,042,015 in 2024.

Iraq is projected to reach 102M people in 2100.
For the last 20 years, Iraq has had an average growth rate of 3.44% per year.
Iraq accounts for 0.58% of the world's population.
Iraq is ranked 33/197 by population and was ranked 39th in 2006.
Since 2006, population has increased from 28.6M people to 48.3M (68.7% growth in 20 years).

Iraq population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	101,632,594	0.21%
2099	101,421,266	0.21%
2098	101,212,536	0.23%
2097	100,980,835	0.25%
2096	100,724,441	0.26%
2095	100,464,590	0.27%
2094	100,194,041	0.32%
2093	99,876,174	0.35%
2092	99,532,041	0.33%
2091	99,203,830	0.32%
2090	98,886,956	0.38%
2089	98,513,025	0.38%
2088	98,144,039	0.39%
2087	97,767,537	0.45%
2086	97,325,026	0.47%
2085	96,873,007	0.44%
2084	96,448,602	0.48%
2083	95,991,166	0.5%
2082	95,509,663	0.53%
2081	95,009,326	0.53%
2080	94,507,216	0.58%
2079	93,960,228	0.58%
2078	93,417,384	0.55%
2077	92,903,983	0.59%
2076	92,359,592	0.58%
2075	91,825,254	0.65%
2074	91,229,266	0.73%
2073	90,571,021	0.73%
2072	89,918,374	0.73%
2071	89,265,548	0.76%
2070	88,596,492	0.78%
2069	87,909,474	0.79%
2068	87,220,494	0.82%
2067	86,513,996	0.91%
2066	85,734,530	0.9%
2065	84,971,898	0.93%
2064	84,191,350	0.96%
2063	83,387,951	0.95%
2062	82,604,577	0.98%
2061	81,800,637	1.05%
2060	80,951,008	1.01%
2059	80,141,868	1.04%
2058	79,319,543	1.07%
2057	78,477,339	1.12%
2056	77,609,202	1.13%
2055	76,739,924	1.16%
2054	75,857,125	1.21%
2053	74,952,948	1.19%
2052	74,072,580	1.26%
2051	73,150,234	1.27%
2050	72,235,938	1.35%
2049	71,272,122	1.36%
2048	70,316,860	1.4%
2047	69,347,823	1.38%
2046	68,400,664	1.43%
2045	67,435,953	1.49%
2044	66,447,309	1.52%
2043	65,453,565	1.58%
2042	64,433,831	1.62%
2041	63,408,709	1.68%
2040	62,360,117	1.75%
2039	61,289,355	1.72%
2038	60,253,073	1.74%
2037	59,221,658	1.83%
2036	58,155,990	1.8%
2035	57,127,999	1.85%
2034	56,087,695	1.88%
2033	55,051,140	1.94%
2032	54,002,289	1.91%
2031	52,991,443	1.93%
2030	51,986,773	1.97%
2029	50,982,563	1.96%
2028	50,001,133	2.01%
2027	49,014,822	2.07%
2026	48,020,334	2.13%
2025	47,020,527	2.13%
2024	46,042,015	2.15%
2023	45,074,049	2.28%
2022	44,070,551	2.32%
2021	43,071,211	2.27%
2020	42,116,605	2.24%
2019	41,192,171	2.3%
2018	40,265,624	2.36%
2017	39,337,353	2.26%
2016	38,469,627	2.42%
2015	37,560,535	2.76%
2014	36,550,059	3.59%
2013	35,281,989	4.83%
2012	33,654,842	4.64%
2011	32,161,424	3.59%
2010	31,045,366	3.28%
2009	30,058,206	3.75%
2008	28,971,036	2.04%
2007	28,391,607	-0.79%
2006	28,616,515	0.74%
2005	28,407,448	3.01%
2004	27,577,878	2.89%
2003	26,802,659	3.06%
2002	26,006,559	3.21%
2001	25,197,840	3.17%
2000	24,424,056	3.33%
1999	23,636,527	3.29%
1998	22,884,399	3.19%
1997	22,176,593	3.14%
1996	21,501,321	3.24%
1995	20,825,860	3.41%
1994	20,139,807	4.89%
1993	19,201,195	4.92%
1992	18,300,845	3%
1991	17,767,253	1.06%
1990	17,581,206	1.25%
1989	17,364,542	2.7%
1988	16,908,819	2.35%
1987	16,521,049	2.78%
1986	16,074,145	2.49%
1985	15,683,430	2.43%
1984	15,310,733	3.17%
1983	14,840,555	3.02%
1982	14,406,083	2.85%
1981	14,006,381	3.05%
1980	13,591,992	3.2%
1979	13,170,365	3.27%
1978	12,753,355	3.42%
1977	12,331,046	3.38%
1976	11,927,651	3.33%
1975	11,543,639	3.37%
1974	11,167,761	3.44%
1973	10,795,869	3.51%
1972	10,430,164	3.5%
1971	10,077,809	3.51%
1970	9,735,611	3.53%
1969	9,403,356	3.5%
1968	9,085,016	3.49%
1967	8,778,869	3.46%
1966	8,485,104	3.45%
1965	8,202,140	3.44%
1964	7,929,566	3.41%
1963	7,667,928	3.43%
1962	7,413,875	3.05%
1961	7,194,553	2.46%
1960	7,022,052	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/iraq | CC BY

Iraq has a population of 48.3M as of 2026, compared to 38.5M in 2016, 28.6M in 2006, and 21.5M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 2.55% per year. Iraq is ranked 44th out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) Iraq will have 68,400,664 people (41.6% growth) with a rank change from 33rd to 28th.

By the year 2100, Iraq's population is projected to grow by 110.5% from its current level to 102M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	-1,064
2024	-	-	-17,735
2023	967,710	973,420	-5,710
2022	1,039,322	962,501	76,821
2021	959,398	941,924	17,474
2020	949,811	919,953	29,858
2019	899,053	942,972	-43,919
2018	954,085	938,310	15,775
2017	902,509	924,507	-21,998
2016	832,988	946,968	-113,980
2015	985,223	1,007,561	-22,338
2014	1,035,693	1,040,726	-5,033
2013	1,500,415	1,026,036	474,379
2012	1,753,894	999,987	753,907
2011	1,232,962	971,082	261,880
2010	999,148	906,369	92,779
2009	975,188	855,096	120,092
2008	1,199,174	802,382	396,792
2007	-40,309	784,119	-824,428
2006	-409,508	797,342	-1,206,850
2005	827,622	776,603	51,019
2004	831,511	761,563	69,948
2003	718,923	746,159	-27,236
2002	873,258	739,419	133,839
2001	744,155	729,704	14,451
2000	803,395	715,771	87,624
1999	771,661	702,170	69,491
1998	732,598	684,152	48,446
1997	683,011	667,582	15,429
1996	667,518	652,866	14,652
1995	683,401	642,977	40,424
1994	688,699	634,344	54,355
1993	1,188,518	606,700	581,818
1992	612,178	591,886	20,292
1991	454,991	550,146	-95,155
1990	-82,894	518,575	-601,469
1989	516,244	496,852	19,392
1988	395,216	476,778	-81,562
1987	380,316	488,742	-108,426
1986	513,484	474,348	39,136
1985	267,940	467,445	-199,505
1984	477,449	455,740	21,709
1983	462,915	439,800	23,115
1982	406,034	428,336	-22,302
1981	393,358	416,998	-23,640
1980	435,410	419,653	15,757
1979	407,841	428,458	-20,617
1978	426,190	418,756	7,434
1977	418,433	410,229	8,204
1976	388,345	402,260	-13,915
1975	379,679	385,916	-6,237
1974	372,107	376,197	-4,090
1973	371,684	373,191	-1,507
1972	359,734	362,334	-2,600
1971	344,985	351,464	-6,479
1970	339,407	338,030	1,377
1969	325,104	324,792	312
1968	311,572	310,644	928
1967	300,723	298,192	2,531
1966	286,805	285,507	1,298
1965	279,106	274,551	4,555
1964	266,049	262,825	3,224
1963	257,243	254,046	3,197
1962	250,863	247,520	3,343
1961	187,773	184,792	2,981
1960	157,224	155,651	1,573

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/iraq | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 99.2% of the population change in Iraq is from natural causes (a gain of 9,598,842 people) and 0.76% is from migration (a loss of 73,050 people).

As of 2024, 370,980 residents or 0.8% of the population were not native-born in Iraq, compared to 120,466 and 0.4% in 2010.

Iraq population clock

	Iraq	Rank
Current population	48289334	33/197
Percent of world population	0.58%	33/197
One net population change	32.6 seconds	22/197
One birth every	27.2 seconds	26/196
One death every	2.82 minutes	56/196
Daily growth/decline	+2,652	22/197
Annual growth/decline	+967,966	22/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+2.15%	46/197
One migration net change every	8.26 hours	93/196
Annual migration change	-1,064	93/196
Foreign-born residents	370,980	92/195
Foreign-born share of population	0.8%	160/195

Largest cities by population

Iraq
City	Population
Baghdad	8.13M
Mosul	1.79M
Basra	1.33M
Kirkuk	975K
Sulaymaniyah	878K
Ramadi	875K
Erbil	846K
Najaf	725K
Karbala	690K
Nasiriyah	542K

Iraq population statistics

	Iraq	World
Life expectancy	72.6 years	73.8 years
Average age	25.5 years	33.8 years
Median age	21.6 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	50.2:49.8	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	3.25 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	286.5 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of Iraq.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/iraq | CC BY