Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Iraq
Iraq: Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) was 1,596 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
1,596 thousands
Change on year
up 3.1%
World rank
61st
of 233 countries
All-time high
1,596 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
412.81 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Population aged 65 years or older in Iraq, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
Iraq recorded 1,596 thousands for population aged 65 years or older in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.1% on the previous year and up 42.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population aged 65 years or older in Iraq peaked at 1,596 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 412.81 thousands, in 1970.
Iraq ranks 61st of 233 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Iraq, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 412.81 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 433.28 thousands | +5.0% |
| 1972 | 453.27 thousands | +4.6% |
| 1973 | 472.96 thousands | +4.3% |
| 1974 | 492.21 thousands | +4.1% |
| 1975 | 510.02 thousands | +3.6% |
| 1976 | 527.13 thousands | +3.4% |
| 1977 | 543.76 thousands | +3.2% |
| 1978 | 560.54 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1979 | 576.75 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1980 | 591.34 thousands | +2.5% |
| 1981 | 605.68 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1982 | 617.01 thousands | +1.9% |
| 1983 | 628.38 thousands | +1.8% |
| 1984 | 640.61 thousands | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 651.19 thousands | +1.7% |
| 1986 | 651.31 thousands | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 659.96 thousands | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 661.56 thousands | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 659.6 thousands | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 659.47 thousands | -0.0% |
| 1991 | 636.45 thousands | -3.5% |
| 1992 | 636.71 thousands | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 644.9 thousands | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 672.94 thousands | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 683.33 thousands | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 693.86 thousands | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 704.46 thousands | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 715.7 thousands | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 729.07 thousands | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 743.94 thousands | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 760.75 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 776.92 thousands | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 798.22 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 815.8 thousands | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 838.11 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 861.32 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 848 thousands | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 846.89 thousands | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 884.14 thousands | +4.4% |
| 2010 | 915.3 thousands | +3.5% |
| 2011 | 946.64 thousands | +3.4% |
| 2012 | 983.14 thousands | +3.9% |
| 2013 | 1,033 thousands | +5.1% |
| 2014 | 1,085 thousands | +5.0% |
| 2015 | 1,123 thousands | +3.5% |
| 2016 | 1,165 thousands | +3.7% |
| 2017 | 1,210 thousands | +3.9% |
| 2018 | 1,269 thousands | +4.9% |
| 2019 | 1,334 thousands | +5.1% |
| 2020 | 1,399 thousands | +4.8% |
| 2021 | 1,432 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 1,481 thousands | +3.4% |
| 2023 | 1,514 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2024 | 1,548 thousands | +2.2% |
| 2025 | 1,596 thousands | +3.1% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's 1,596 thousands is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 529.18 thousands, 3.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Iraq's 1,596 thousands is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1,028 thousands, 1.6× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 498.27 thousands | 412.81 thousands | 576.75 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 636.66 thousands | 591.34 thousands | 661.56 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 677.69 thousands | 636.45 thousands | 729.07 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 817.41 thousands | 743.94 thousands | 884.14 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,106 thousands | 915.3 thousands | 1,334 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,495 thousands | 1,399 thousands | 1,596 thousands | 6 |
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 population aged 65 years or older in Iraq?
- Population aged 65 years or older in Iraq was 1,596 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 1,596 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 412.81 thousands in 1970.
- How does Iraq rank for population aged 65 years or older?
- Iraq ranks 61st out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population aged 65 years or older rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iraq data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population aged 65 years or older (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release