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Iraq Population and religion percentage
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in Western Asia. It is a federal parliamentary republic that consists of 19 governorates. Iraq is the 33rd most populous country in the world. As per the UN World Population Prospects reports, the estimated population of Iraq in 2024 is 46,523,657 (46 million or 4.6 Crore)
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Iraq location on Map
| Iraq | 2024 Population |
| Total Population | 46,523,657 |
| 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 | 73.1 % |
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
Source: United Nation World Populations Prospects
*Fertility rate, the average number of children born to women during their reproductive years.
**Infant mortality rate is the number of deaths per 1,000 live births of children under one year of age.
