This report offers a demographic overview of Iraq.
Key Numbers
Iraq has a population of 39,339,753 (correct as of January 2018) with annual growth at 2.86%.
The capital Baghdad has a population of 9,000,000, hosting a mixed population of mainly Shia and Sunni Arabs.
Arabic is the official language. 10-15% of the population, concentrated in the Semi-Autonomous Kurdistan Region, speak Kurdish.
23% of the population live below the poverty line ($2.20 per day). 16% are unemployed.
Large swathes of the West of the country are uninhabited. 69.7% of the population live in urban areas, concentrated along the Euphrates and Tigris River Valleys and within the semi-autonomous Kurdish Region. (see Figure 2.)
Ethnic Breakdown
51% of the population are male, with a mean age of 19.9 years old. Average life expectancy is 66.2 years. One in 5 cannot read or write.
Religious Breakdown
Shia Arabs are the largest and most influential sect in Iraq.
Until 2015, Christians and Yazidis constituted 1% of the population. 50% of Christians and many Yazidis fled during violence. Iraq harbors deep ethnic and sectarian divisions, facilitating conflict and instability.
