Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Iraq
Iraq: Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) was 2.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Population growth in Iraq, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Iraq recorded 2.1% for population growth in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.6% on the previous year and down 39.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Iraq peaked at 4.8% in 1993 and was at its lowest, -0.8%, in 2007.
That places Iraq 49th out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Iraq, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3.5% | — |
| 1971 | 3.5% | -0.5% |
| 1972 | 3.4% | -0.5% |
| 1973 | 3.4% | +0.3% |
| 1974 | 3.4% | -1.7% |
| 1975 | 3.3% | -2.3% |
| 1976 | 3.3% | -1.1% |
| 1977 | 3.3% | +1.6% |
| 1978 | 3.4% | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 3.2% | -4.5% |
| 1980 | 3.2% | -2.1% |
| 1981 | 3.0% | -4.7% |
| 1982 | 2.8% | -6.3% |
| 1983 | 3.0% | +5.6% |
| 1984 | 3.1% | +5.0% |
| 1985 | 2.4% | -22.9% |
| 1986 | 2.5% | +2.3% |
| 1987 | 2.7% | +11.4% |
| 1988 | 2.3% | -15.4% |
| 1989 | 2.7% | +14.6% |
| 1990 | 1.2% | -53.4% |
| 1991 | 1.1% | -15.1% |
| 1992 | 3.0% | +181.1% |
| 1993 | 4.8% | +62.3% |
| 1994 | 4.8% | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 3.3% | -29.8% |
| 1996 | 3.2% | -4.7% |
| 1997 | 3.1% | -3.1% |
| 1998 | 3.1% | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 3.2% | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 3.3% | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 3.1% | -4.8% |
| 2002 | 3.2% | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 3.0% | -4.6% |
| 2004 | 2.9% | -5.4% |
| 2005 | 3.0% | +3.9% |
| 2006 | 0.7% | -75.3% |
| 2007 | -0.8% | -207.6% |
| 2008 | 2.0% | -356.0% |
| 2009 | 3.7% | +82.3% |
| 2010 | 3.2% | -12.3% |
| 2011 | 3.5% | +9.3% |
| 2012 | 4.5% | +28.5% |
| 2013 | 4.7% | +4.0% |
| 2014 | 3.5% | -25.2% |
| 2015 | 2.7% | -22.8% |
| 2016 | 2.4% | -12.3% |
| 2017 | 2.2% | -6.7% |
| 2018 | 2.3% | +4.6% |
| 2019 | 2.3% | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 2.2% | -2.4% |
| 2021 | 2.2% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 2.3% | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 2.3% | -1.8% |
| 2024 | 2.1% | -5.6% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's 2.1% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.5%, 4.4× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Iraq's 2.1% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.7%, 1.2× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Iraq changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | +356.0% | -0.8% | 2.0% |
| 2007 | -207.6% | 0.7% | -0.8% |
| 1992 | +181.1% | 1.1% | 3.0% |
| 2009 | +82.3% | 2.0% | 3.7% |
| 2006 | -75.3% | 3.0% | 0.7% |
| 1993 | +62.3% | 3.0% | 4.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.4% | 3.2% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.8% | 2.3% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.1% | 1.1% | 4.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.4% | -0.8% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.2% | 2.2% | 4.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.2% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 5 |
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)
- Population growth rate 0.169 (2100)
- Population density 231.84 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 5.99 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Iraq?
- Population growth in Iraq was 2.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 4.8% in 1993.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.8% in 2007.
- How does Iraq rank for population growth?
- Iraq ranks 49th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is down 39.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iraq data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release