Share of population living in the capital city in Iraq

Iraq: Share of population living in the capital city was 14.56 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
14.56
World rank
98th
of 170 countries
All-time high
18.81
in 1990
All-time low
9.82
in 1950
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of population living in the capital city in Iraq, 1950–2020

051015201950198520201950: 9.81955: 10.41960: 12.31965: 15.61970: 16.61975: 17.61980: 18.41985: 18.31990: 18.81995: 182000: 17.52005: 15.72010: 15.42015: 14.42020: 14.6

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

Iraq recorded 14.56 for share of population living in the capital city in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in the capital city in Iraq peaked at 18.81 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 9.82, in 1950.

That places Iraq 98th out of 170 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.

Share of population living in the capital city in Iraq, year by year

Annual values for Share of population living in the capital city in Iraq, 1950 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1950 9.82 —
1955 10.38 +5.7%
1960 12.3 +18.6%
1965 15.56 +26.5%
1970 16.56 +6.4%
1975 17.64 +6.5%
1980 18.45 +4.6%
1985 18.34 -0.6%
1990 18.81 +2.5%
1995 18 -4.3%
2000 17.49 -2.9%
2005 15.65 -10.5%
2010 15.39 -1.7%
2015 14.39 -6.5%
2020 14.56 +1.2%

Iraq compared with similar countries

  • Iraq's 14.56 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 19.62, 74% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
  • Iraq's 14.56 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 16.65, 87% of the median. (23 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 10.1 9.82 10.38 2
1960s 13.93 12.3 15.56 2
1970s 17.1 16.56 17.64 2
1980s 18.4 18.34 18.45 2
1990s 18.41 18 18.81 2
2000s 16.57 15.65 17.49 2
2010s 14.89 14.39 15.39 2
2020s 14.56 14.56 14.56 1

Countries ranked near Iraq

  1. 95 Bulgaria 15.57 compare
  2. 96 Honduras 15.17 compare
  3. 97 United Kingdom 14.83 compare
  4. 99 Cuba 14.52 compare
  5. 100 Indonesia 14.22 compare
  6. 101 France 14.18 compare

See the full ranking of 170 places →

More population data for Iraq

All data for Iraq →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in the capital city in Iraq?
Share of population living in the capital city in Iraq was 14.56 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Iraq?
The highest recorded value was 18.81 in 1990.
What is the lowest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Iraq?
The lowest recorded value was 9.82 in 1950.
How does Iraq rank for share of population living in the capital city?
Iraq ranks 98th out of 170 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population living in the capital city rising or falling in Iraq?
Over the last ten years it is down 5.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iraq data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in the capital city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of population living in the capital city in Iraq. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 12 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-population-living-in-the-capital-city/iraq/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in the capital city
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
170 places, 2,330 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed