Share of population living in rural areas in Iraq
Iraq: Share of population living in rural areas was 12.5% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Iraq, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Iraq recorded 12.5% for share of population living in rural areas in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of down 19.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Iraq peaked at 42.0% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 12.5%, in 2020.
That places Iraq 197th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Iraq, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 42.0% | — |
| 1955 | 39.5% | -5.9% |
| 1960 | 37.6% | -4.8% |
| 1965 | 34.5% | -8.3% |
| 1970 | 31.1% | -10.0% |
| 1975 | 27.8% | -10.5% |
| 1980 | 26.6% | -4.3% |
| 1985 | 25.3% | -5.0% |
| 1990 | 24.4% | -3.7% |
| 1995 | 21.6% | -11.2% |
| 2000 | 19.3% | -10.8% |
| 2005 | 17.0% | -12.0% |
| 2010 | 15.5% | -8.8% |
| 2015 | 13.7% | -11.8% |
| 2020 | 12.5% | -8.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 40.8% | 39.5% | 42.0% | 2 |
| 1960s | 36.1% | 34.5% | 37.6% | 2 |
| 1970s | 29.4% | 27.8% | 31.1% | 2 |
| 1980s | 26.0% | 25.3% | 26.6% | 2 |
| 1990s | 23.0% | 21.6% | 24.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 18.1% | 17.0% | 19.3% | 2 |
| 2010s | 14.6% | 13.7% | 15.5% | 2 |
| 2020s | 12.5% | 12.5% | 12.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
- 194 Viet Nam 13.1% compare
- 195 Saint Barthelemy 12.8% compare
- 196 Trinidad and Tobago 12.6% compare
- 198 Pakistan 12.0% compare
- 199 Reunion 11.7% compare
- 200 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 11.5% compare
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 share of population living in rural areas in Iraq?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Iraq was 12.5% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 42.0% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.5% in 2020.
- How does Iraq rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Iraq ranks 197th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iraq data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.