Share of population living in the capital city in Iraq
Iraq: Share of population living in the capital city was 14.6% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in the capital city in Iraq, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Iraq recorded 14.6% 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 18.8% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 9.8%, 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
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 9.8% | — |
| 1955 | 10.4% | +5.7% |
| 1960 | 12.3% | +18.6% |
| 1965 | 15.6% | +26.5% |
| 1970 | 16.6% | +6.4% |
| 1975 | 17.6% | +6.5% |
| 1980 | 18.4% | +4.6% |
| 1985 | 18.3% | -0.6% |
| 1990 | 18.8% | +2.5% |
| 1995 | 18.0% | -4.3% |
| 2000 | 17.5% | -2.9% |
| 2005 | 15.7% | -10.5% |
| 2010 | 15.4% | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 14.4% | -6.5% |
| 2020 | 14.6% | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 10.1% | 9.8% | 10.4% | 2 |
| 1960s | 13.9% | 12.3% | 15.6% | 2 |
| 1970s | 17.1% | 16.6% | 17.6% | 2 |
| 1980s | 18.4% | 18.3% | 18.4% | 2 |
| 1990s | 18.4% | 18.0% | 18.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 16.6% | 15.7% | 17.5% | 2 |
| 2010s | 14.9% | 14.4% | 15.4% | 2 |
| 2020s | 14.6% | 14.6% | 14.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
More population data for Iraq
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.3293 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.1891 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.2% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 5.99 million people (2100)
- Population density 231.84 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.2% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.4379 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.07 Percent per annum (2030)
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 14.6% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 18.8% in 1990.
- What is the lowest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.8% 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 European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by 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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About this data
Percentage of the total population living in the country's capital city. City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.