Iraq vs Saudi Arabia: Urban and rural population
Iraq
32.89 million
in 2025
Saudi Arabia
29.25 million
in 2025
Iraq rank
30th
Saudi Arabia rank
33rd
Urban and rural population over time
- Iraq
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
Iraq currently reports 32.89 million against 29.25 million in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 3.64 million.
That makes Iraq's figure about 1.1 times Saudi Arabia's.
Across all 76 years both countries report, Iraq has been ahead every year.
Iraq ranks 30th and Saudi Arabia ranks 33rd of 229 countries.
Iraq has averaged higher in every one of the 8 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iraq | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.42 million | 514,778 | 1.90 million | Iraq |
| 1960s | 4.12 million | 1.13 million | 2.98 million | Iraq |
| 1970s | 7.00 million | 2.62 million | 4.38 million | Iraq |
| 1980s | 10.66 million | 5.79 million | 4.87 million | Iraq |
| 1990s | 13.91 million | 10.26 million | 3.65 million | Iraq |
| 2000s | 18.75 million | 16.31 million | 2.44 million | Iraq |
| 2010s | 25.45 million | 23.85 million | 1.60 million | Iraq |
| 2020s | 31.14 million | 27.55 million | 3.59 million | Iraq |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher urban and rural population, Iraq or Saudi Arabia?
- Iraq, at 32.89 million against 29.25 million in Saudi Arabia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in urban and rural population between Iraq and Saudi Arabia?
- 3.64 million, with Iraq ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iraq and Saudi Arabia?
- 76 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2025.
- How do Iraq and Saudi Arabia rank globally for urban and rural population?
- Iraq ranks 30th and Saudi Arabia ranks 33rd of 229 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Urban and rural population. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.