Population and Demographics

Seventy-five to eighty percent of Iraq's population are Arabs; the other major ethnic groups are the Kurds at 15-20%, Assyrians, Iraqi Turkmen and others (5%), who mostly live in the north and northeast of the country. Other distinct groups are Persians and Armenians (possible descendants of the ancient Mesopotamian culture). About 20,000-50,000 Marsh Arabs live in southern Iraq.

Arabic and Kurdish are official languages, whilst Assyrian and Turkmen are official languages in areas where the Assyrians and Iraqi Turkmen are located respectively. Armenian and Persian are also spoken but to a lesser extent. English is the most commonly spoken Western language.

According to most western sources, the majority of Iraqis are Shi'ite Muslims (around 60%), and about 35% of the population are Sunnis. Ethnic Assyrians (most of whom are adherents of the Chaldean Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East) account for most of Iraq's Christian population, along with Armenians. Bahá'ís, Mandaeans, Shabaks, and Yezidis also exist. Most Kurds are Sunni Muslims, although the Faili (Feyli) Kurds are largely Shi'a.

Facts and Figures

• Population: 27,499,638
• Age Structure:
  • 0-14 years: 39.4% (male 5,509,736/female 5,338,722)
  • 15-64 years: 57.6% (male 8,018,841/female 7,812,611)
  • 65 years and over: 3% (male 386,321/female 433,407)
• Median Age:
  • Total: 20 years
  • Male: 19.9 years
  • Female: 20 years
• Population Growth Rate: 2.618%
• Birth Rate: 31.44 births/1,000 population
• Death Rate: 5.26 deaths/1,000 population
• Net Migration Rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
• Sex Ratio:
  • At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  • Under 15 years: 1.032 male(s)/female
  • 15-64 years: 1.026 male(s)/female
  • 65 years and over: 0.891 male(s)/female
  • Total population: 1.024 male(s)/female
• Infant Mortality Rate:
  • Total: 47.04 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Male: 52.73 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Female: 41.07 deaths/1,000 live births
• Life Expectancy at Birth:
  • Total population: 69.31 years
  • Male: 68.04 years
  • Female: 70.65 years
• Total Fertility Rate: 4.07 children born/woman
• HIV/AIDS:
  • Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1%
  • People living with HIV/AIDS: less than 500
• Ethnic Groups:
  • Arab 75%-80%
  • Kurdish 15%-20%
  • Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5%
• Religions:
  • Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%)
  • Christian or other 3%
• Languages:
  • Arabic
  • Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions)
  • Assyrian
  • Armenian
• Literacy:
  • Total population: 74.1%
  • Male: 84.1%
  • Female: 64.2%