Urban and rural population projected to 2050 in Iraq

Iraq: Urban and rural population projected to 2050 was 12.60 million people in 2050. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2050)
12.60 million people
Change on year
down 3.7%
World rank
43rd
of 238 countries
All-time high
15.77 million people
in 2037
All-time low
911,809 people
in 1800
Years of data
133
1000–2050

Urban and rural population projected to 2050 in Iraq, 1000–2050

05.0M10.0M15.0M100015252050

Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.

Analysis

Iraq recorded 12.60 million people for urban and rural population projected to 2050 in 2050.

The figure is down 3.7% on the previous year and down 19.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, urban and rural population projected to 2050 in Iraq peaked at 15.77 million people in 2037 and was at its lowest, 911,809 people, in 1800.

That places Iraq 43rd out of 238 countries with data for 2050, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Urban and rural population projected to 2050 in Iraq, year by year

Annual values for Urban and rural population projected to 2050 in Iraq, 1000 to 2050.
Year people Change
1000 1.95 million people —
1100 1.70 million people -12.6%
1200 1.34 million people -21.5%
1300 970,789 people -27.4%
1400 969,311 people -0.2%
1500 967,834 people -0.2%
1600 1.21 million people +24.8%
1700 964,878 people -20.1%
1710 960,592 people -0.4%
1720 956,985 people -0.4%
1730 953,017 people -0.4%
1740 948,655 people -0.5%
1750 943,860 people -0.5%
1760 938,591 people -0.6%
1770 932,804 people -0.6%
1780 926,448 people -0.7%
1790 919,470 people -0.8%
1800 911,809 people -0.8%
1810 950,788 people +4.3%
1820 990,441 people +4.2%
1830 1.03 million people +4.1%
1840 1.07 million people +3.9%
1850 1.11 million people +3.8%
1860 1.15 million people +3.6%
1870 1.29 million people +12.3%
1880 1.45 million people +12.1%
1890 1.62 million people +11.8%
1900 1.81 million people +11.5%
1910 2.01 million people +11.2%
1920 2.16 million people +7.7%
1930 2.18 million people +1.0%
1940 3.01 million people +38.0%
1950 3.68 million people +22.0%
1951 3.72 million people +1.2%
1952 3.77 million people +1.3%
1953 3.82 million people +1.4%
1954 3.87 million people +1.3%
1955 3.91 million people +1.0%
1956 3.94 million people +0.8%
1957 3.96 million people +0.4%
1958 3.95 million people -0.1%
1959 3.94 million people -0.2%
1960 3.93 million people -0.3%
1961 3.92 million people -0.3%
1962 3.93 million people +0.1%
1963 3.94 million people +0.4%
1964 3.96 million people +0.5%
1965 3.99 million people +0.7%
1966 4.03 million people +0.9%
1967 4.07 million people +1.0%
1968 4.11 million people +1.0%
1969 4.15 million people +1.0%
1970 4.19 million people +1.0%
1971 4.23 million people +1.0%
1972 4.28 million people +1.0%
1973 4.32 million people +1.1%
1974 4.37 million people +1.0%
1975 4.41 million people +1.0%
1976 4.45 million people +1.0%
1977 4.50 million people +1.1%
1978 4.56 million people +1.1%
1979 4.59 million people +0.8%
1980 4.62 million people +0.6%
1981 4.64 million people +0.4%
1982 4.65 million people +0.3%
1983 4.68 million people +0.6%
1984 4.73 million people +1.0%
1985 4.76 million people +0.7%
1986 4.82 million people +1.2%
1987 4.92 million people +2.2%
1988 5.04 million people +2.4%
1989 5.21 million people +3.3%
1990 5.32 million people +2.2%
1991 5.44 million people +2.2%
1992 5.68 million people +4.3%
1993 6.04 million people +6.3%
1994 6.41 million people +6.2%
1995 6.70 million people +4.5%
1996 6.97 million people +4.0%
1997 7.21 million people +3.5%
1998 7.44 million people +3.2%
1999 7.67 million people +3.1%
2000 7.91 million people +3.0%
2001 8.13 million people +2.8%
2002 8.35 million people +2.8%
2003 8.56 million people +2.6%
2004 8.76 million people +2.4%
2005 8.98 million people +2.5%
2006 9.00 million people +0.2%
2007 8.88 million people -1.3%
2008 9.02 million people +1.6%
2009 9.33 million people +3.4%
2010 9.61 million people +3.0%
2011 9.93 million people +3.4%
2012 10.36 million people +4.3%
2013 10.78 million people +4.1%
2014 11.09 million people +2.8%
2015 11.30 million people +1.9%
2016 11.57 million people +2.4%
2017 11.84 million people +2.3%
2018 12.13 million people +2.4%
2019 12.41 million people +2.3%
2020 12.69 million people +2.2%
2021 12.98 million people +2.3%
2022 13.28 million people +2.3%
2023 13.58 million people +2.3%
2024 13.87 million people +2.1%
2025 14.13 million people +1.9%
2026 14.39 million people +1.8%
2027 14.62 million people +1.6%
2028 14.83 million people +1.4%
2029 15.02 million people +1.3%
2030 15.20 million people +1.2%
2031 15.35 million people +1.0%
2032 15.48 million people +0.9%
2033 15.60 million people +0.7%
2034 15.68 million people +0.5%
2035 15.74 million people +0.4%
2036 15.77 million people +0.2%
2037 15.77 million people +0.0%
2038 15.74 million people -0.2%
2039 15.69 million people -0.4%
2040 15.60 million people -0.6%
2041 15.47 million people -0.8%
2042 15.31 million people -1.1%
2043 15.11 million people -1.3%
2044 14.87 million people -1.6%
2045 14.59 million people -1.9%
2046 14.27 million people -2.2%
2047 13.91 million people -2.5%
2048 13.51 million people -2.8%
2049 13.08 million people -3.2%
2050 12.60 million people -3.7%

Iraq compared with similar countries

  • Iraq's 12.60 million people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.23 million people, 10.2× the median. (58 countries reporting)
  • Iraq's 12.60 million people is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.86 million people, 6.8× the median. (23 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Urban and rural population projected to 2050 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.

YearChange FromTo
1940 +38.0% 2.18 million people 3.01 million people
1300 -27.4% 1.34 million people 970,789 people

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1000s 1.95 million people 1.95 million people 1.95 million people 1
1100s 1.70 million people 1.70 million people 1.70 million people 1
1200s 1.34 million people 1.34 million people 1.34 million people 1
1300s 970,789 people 970,789 people 970,789 people 1
1400s 969,311 people 969,311 people 969,311 people 1
1500s 967,834 people 967,834 people 967,834 people 1
1600s 1.21 million people 1.21 million people 1.21 million people 1
1700s 964,878 people 964,878 people 964,878 people 1
1710s 960,592 people 960,592 people 960,592 people 1
1720s 956,985 people 956,985 people 956,985 people 1
1730s 953,017 people 953,017 people 953,017 people 1
1740s 948,655 people 948,655 people 948,655 people 1
1750s 943,860 people 943,860 people 943,860 people 1
1760s 938,591 people 938,591 people 938,591 people 1
1770s 932,804 people 932,804 people 932,804 people 1
1780s 926,448 people 926,448 people 926,448 people 1
1790s 919,470 people 919,470 people 919,470 people 1
1800s 911,809 people 911,809 people 911,809 people 1
1810s 950,788 people 950,788 people 950,788 people 1
1820s 990,441 people 990,441 people 990,441 people 1
1830s 1.03 million people 1.03 million people 1.03 million people 1
1840s 1.07 million people 1.07 million people 1.07 million people 1
1850s 1.11 million people 1.11 million people 1.11 million people 1
1860s 1.15 million people 1.15 million people 1.15 million people 1
1870s 1.29 million people 1.29 million people 1.29 million people 1
1880s 1.45 million people 1.45 million people 1.45 million people 1
1890s 1.62 million people 1.62 million people 1.62 million people 1
1900s 1.81 million people 1.81 million people 1.81 million people 1
1910s 2.01 million people 2.01 million people 2.01 million people 1
1920s 2.16 million people 2.16 million people 2.16 million people 1
1930s 2.18 million people 2.18 million people 2.18 million people 1
1940s 3.01 million people 3.01 million people 3.01 million people 1
1950s 3.86 million people 3.68 million people 3.96 million people 10
1960s 4.00 million people 3.92 million people 4.15 million people 10
1970s 4.39 million people 4.19 million people 4.59 million people 10
1980s 4.81 million people 4.62 million people 5.21 million people 10
1990s 6.49 million people 5.32 million people 7.67 million people 10
2000s 8.69 million people 7.91 million people 9.33 million people 10
2010s 11.10 million people 9.61 million people 12.41 million people 10
2020s 13.94 million people 12.69 million people 15.02 million people 10
2030s 15.60 million people 15.20 million people 15.77 million people 10
2040s 14.57 million people 13.08 million people 15.60 million people 10
2050s 12.60 million people 12.60 million people 12.60 million people 1

Countries ranked near Iraq

  1. 40 Ghana 13.45 million people compare
  2. 41 Iran 13.38 million people compare
  3. 42 South Sudan 12.68 million people compare
  4. 44 Cambodia 12.32 million people compare
  5. 45 Germany 11.93 million people compare
  6. 46 Tajikistan 11.90 million people compare

See the full ranking of 239 places →

More population data for Iraq

All data for Iraq →

Frequently asked questions

What is urban and rural population projected to 2050 in Iraq?
Urban and rural population projected to 2050 in Iraq was 12.60 million people in 2050, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest urban and rural population projected to 2050 recorded in Iraq?
The highest recorded value was 15.77 million people in 2037.
What is the lowest urban and rural population projected to 2050 recorded in Iraq?
The lowest recorded value was 911,809 people in 1800.
How does Iraq rank for urban and rural population projected to 2050?
Iraq ranks 43rd out of 238 countries with data for 2050.
Is urban and rural population projected to 2050 rising or falling in Iraq?
Over the last ten years it is down 19.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Iraq data come from?
The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Urban and rural population projected to 2050. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Urban and rural population projected to 2050 in Iraq. Statizoid, drawing on HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 10 October 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/urban-and-rural-population-2050/iraq/

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About this data

Indicator
Urban and rural population projected to 2050
Unit
people
Source
HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
239 places, 30,401 data points, 1000–2050
Last refreshed

Number of people living in rural areas, combining UN estimates and projections with modeled historical data.