Birth rate in Iraq
Iraq: Birth rate was 25.73 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Birth rate in Iraq, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per 1,000 people.
Analysis
Iraq recorded 25.73 births per 1,000 people for birth rate in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 24.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rate in Iraq peaked at 49.41 births per 1,000 people in 1952 and was at its lowest, 25.73 births per 1,000 people, in 2023.
That places Iraq 52nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Birth rate in Iraq, year by year
| Year | births per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 45.88 births per 1,000 people | — |
| 1951 | 46.84 births per 1,000 people | +2.1% |
| 1952 | 49.41 births per 1,000 people | +5.5% |
| 1953 | 48.83 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1954 | 47.63 births per 1,000 people | -2.5% |
| 1955 | 41.92 births per 1,000 people | -12.0% |
| 1956 | 41.66 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1957 | 33.27 births per 1,000 people | -20.1% |
| 1958 | 33.33 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1959 | 36.76 births per 1,000 people | +10.3% |
| 1960 | 36.7 births per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1961 | 40.05 births per 1,000 people | +9.1% |
| 1962 | 47.89 births per 1,000 people | +19.6% |
| 1963 | 47.49 births per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 1964 | 47.08 births per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 1965 | 46.74 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1966 | 46.38 births per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 1967 | 46.09 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1968 | 45.99 births per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1969 | 45.93 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1970 | 45.64 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1971 | 45.35 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1972 | 44.92 births per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 1973 | 44.42 births per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 1974 | 43.96 births per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 1975 | 43.42 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1976 | 42.78 births per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 1977 | 42.08 births per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 1978 | 41.44 births per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 1979 | 40.96 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1980 | 40.46 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1981 | 40.17 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1982 | 39.92 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 39.62 births per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 1984 | 39.6 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 39.54 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 39.03 births per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 1987 | 39 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 39.38 births per 1,000 people | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 39.63 births per 1,000 people | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 40.59 births per 1,000 people | +2.4% |
| 1991 | 39.96 births per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 1992 | 39.48 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 38.58 births per 1,000 people | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 38.62 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 38.03 births per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 37.5 births per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 37.34 births per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 37 births per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 36.7 births per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 36.11 births per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 2001 | 35.55 births per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 34.79 births per 1,000 people | -2.1% |
| 2003 | 34.52 births per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 34.34 births per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 33.94 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 34.96 births per 1,000 people | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 34.5 births per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 33.65 births per 1,000 people | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 33.93 births per 1,000 people | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 34.6 births per 1,000 people | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 35.49 births per 1,000 people | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 34.83 births per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 34.14 births per 1,000 people | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 33.33 births per 1,000 people | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 31.56 births per 1,000 people | -5.3% |
| 2016 | 29.82 births per 1,000 people | -5.5% |
| 2017 | 28.3 births per 1,000 people | -5.1% |
| 2018 | 27.66 births per 1,000 people | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 27.25 births per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 26.84 births per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 26.45 births per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 26 births per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2023 | 25.73 births per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's 25.73 births per 1,000 people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 13.97 births per 1,000 people, 1.8× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Iraq's 25.73 births per 1,000 people is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 17.02 births per 1,000 people, 1.5× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 42.55 births per 1,000 people | 33.27 births per 1,000 people | 49.41 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 45.03 births per 1,000 people | 36.7 births per 1,000 people | 47.89 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 43.5 births per 1,000 people | 40.96 births per 1,000 people | 45.64 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 39.64 births per 1,000 people | 39 births per 1,000 people | 40.46 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 38.38 births per 1,000 people | 36.7 births per 1,000 people | 40.59 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 34.63 births per 1,000 people | 33.65 births per 1,000 people | 36.11 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.7 births per 1,000 people | 27.25 births per 1,000 people | 35.49 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.26 births per 1,000 people | 25.73 births per 1,000 people | 26.84 births per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
More population data for Iraq
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.1891 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -3.65 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.1891 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.3293 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 74,515 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.07 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.4379 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.2% (2100)
- Population density 231.84 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 5.99 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth rate in Iraq?
- Birth rate in Iraq was 25.73 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth rate recorded in Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 49.41 births per 1,000 people in 1952.
- What is the lowest birth rate recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.73 births per 1,000 people in 2023.
- How does Iraq rank for birth rate?
- Iraq ranks 52nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is birth rate rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iraq data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of live births in a year per 1,000 people in the population.