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Iraq Population and religion percentage
Iraq, officially known as the Republic of Iraq, is a country located in Western Asia. It is a federal parliamentary republic composed of 19 governorates. Iraq is the 33rd most populous country in the world. According to the final results of Iraq’s first census in nearly 40 years, released on February 24, 2025, the population has reached 46.1 million or 4.61 Crore.
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Iraq location on Map
| Iraq | 2025 Population |
| Total Population | 46,118,000 (46.1 million) |
| Global Rank | 36 |
| Share of World Pop. | 0.52% |
| Land Area | 437,367 sq. km (168,868 sq. mi) |
| Area Rank | 58 |
| Pop. Density | 92 person/sq. km |
| Growth rate | 2.22% |
| Fertility Rate* | 3.68 |
| Infant mortality rate** | 21.1 |
| Median Age | 21 years |
| Life Expectancy | 71.08 Years |
| Urban Population | 70.17 % |
Iraq’s 2024 Census Highlights
Total Population
46.1 million (including Kurdistan Region)
Urbanization
70.17% of the population lives in urban areas
29.83% resides in rural areas
Age Demographics
60.44% (15-64 years) – Working-age population
11.16% (under 5 years)
24.74% (5-14 years)
Marriage and Family
51.04% – Married
46% – Single
2.8% – Widowed or Divorced
Average Marriage Age: 24.06 years (males), 20.7 years (females)
70.16% – Families own their homes
Economic Activity
41.61% – Economically active population
38.25% – Employed in government sector
46.06% – Economically inactive population
Education and Literacy
15.31% – Illiteracy rate
16.23% – Illiteracy rate in Kurdistan Region
51.5% – Male student enrollment rate
Public Services and Infrastructure
87% – Households with access to clean drinking water
96.3% – Households with electricity access
96.9% – Households with sewerage system access
Religion in Iraq
Islam is the main Religion in Iraq and is followed by the majority of the population. According to the CIA World Factbook, approximately 95% to 98% of the people are Muslims.
Iran and Iraq are two of only a handful of countries with more Shias than Sunnis. While it is widely assumed that Iraq has a Shia majority, there is little reliable data on the exact Sunni-Shia breakdown of the population. As per estimates, it has a 50-55% Shia population and 40-42% Sunnis.
The remaining 5% follow Christianity, Yazidism, religious syncretism, Mandaeism, Shabakism, Yarsanism, and Zoroastrianism.
Religion Percentage in Iraq
| Religion / Affiliations | Percentage |
| Islam | 95-99% |
| – Shia | – 55% |
| – Sunni | – 40% |
| Christianity | 1.25% |
| Yazidism | 1.25% |
| others (incl. Yarsanism, Zoroastrianism, Bahá’í, Mandaeanism) | 1.50% |
| Irreligion | 1% |
Source: Pew Research
Iraq ethnic composition
Iraqi Population is mainly Arab and 65% of the population is Arab. Kurds are the second largest ethnicity and around 23% of the population is Kurdish. Iraq’s Kurds are concentrated in the relatively inaccessible mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan. They are mostly Sunni Muslims who speak one of two dialects of the Kurdish language, an Indo-European language closely related to Modern Persian.
Small communities of Turks, Turkmen, and Assyrians survive in northern Iraq. The Lur, a group speaking an Iranian language, lives near the Iranian border. In addition, a small number of Armenians are found predominantly in Baghdad and in pockets throughout the north.
Ethnic Composition
- Arabs – 64%
- Kurds – 23%
- Turkmen – 7%
- Others – 6%
Source: census estimates
Top Cities in Iraq by Population
| # | City | Province | Population |
| 1 | Baghdad | Baghdad Governorate | 81,26,755 |
| 2 | Mosul | Nineveh Governorate | 37,29,998 |
| 3 | Basra | Basra Governorate | 29,08,491 |
| 4 | Sulaymaniya | Sulaymaniya Governorate | 20,53,305 |
| 5 | Kirkuk | Kirkuk Governorate | 15,97,876 |
| 6 | Baquba | Diyala Governorate | 16,37,226 |
| 7 | Tikrit | Saladin Governorate | 12,18,732 |
| 8 | Erbil | Erbil Governorate | 18,54,778 |
| 9 | Babylon | Babylon Governorate | 20,85,042 |
| 10 | Al Nasiriya | Dhi Qar Governorate | 20,65,172 |
Census: 2018 Estimate