Iraq

Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by the United Kingdom during World War I and was declared a League of Nations mandate under UK administration in 1920. Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. It was proclaimed a republic in 1958 after a coup overthrew the monarchy, but in actuality, a series of strongmen ruled the country until 2003. The last was SADDAM Hussein, from 1979 to 2003. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and costly war from 1980 to 1988. In 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait but was expelled by US-led UN coalition forces during the two-month-long Gulf War of 1991. After Iraq's expulsion, the UN Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions led to the Second Gulf War in 2003, when US-led forces ousted the SADDAM regime. In 2005, Iraqis approved a constitution in a national referendum and elected a 275-member Council of Representatives (COR). The COR approved most of the cabinet ministers, marking the transition to Iraq's first constitutional government in nearly a half-century. Iraq's constitution also established the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), a semi-autonomous region that administers the governorates of Erbil, Dahuk, and As Sulaymaniyah. Iraq has held four national legislative elections since 2006, most recently in 2021. The COR approved Mohammad Shia' al-SUDANI as prime minister in 2022. Iraq has repeatedly postponed elections for provincial councils -- last held in 2013 -- and since 2019, the prime minister has had the authority to appoint governors rather than provincial councils. Between 2014 and 2017, Iraq fought a military campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) to recapture territory the group seized in 2014. In 2017, then-Prime Minister Haydar al-ABADI publicly declared victory against ISIS, although military operations against the group continue in rural areas. Also in 2017, Baghdad forcefully seized disputed territories across central and northern Iraq from the KRG, after a non-binding Kurdish independence referendum.

land

437,367 sq km

total

438,317 sq km

water

950 sq km

slightly more than three times the size of New York state

mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in central and southern Iraq

58 km

highest point

Cheekha Dar (Kurdish for "Black Tent") 3,611 m

lowest point

Persian Gulf 0 m

mean elevation

312 m

33 00 N, 44 00 E

strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf

35,250 sq km (2012)

border countries

Iran 1,599 km; Jordan 179 km; Kuwait 254 km; Saudi Arabia 811 km; Syria 599 km; Turkey 367 km

total

3,809 km

agricultural land

18.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 8.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 9.2% (2018 est.)

forest

1.9% (2018 est.)

other

80% (2018 est.)

Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait

Arabian Aquifer System

fresh water lake(s)

Lake Hammar - 1,940 sq km

Euphrates river mouth (shared with Turkey[s], Syria, and Iran) - 3,596 km; Tigris river mouth (shared with Turkey[s], Syria, and Iran) - 1,950 km; the Tigris and Euphrates join to form the Shatt al Arabnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Indian Ocean drainage: (Persian Gulf) Tigris and Euphrates (918,044 sq km)

Middle East

continental shelf

not specified

territorial sea

12 nm

dust storms; sandstorms; floods

petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur

population is concentrated in the north, center, and eastern parts of the country, with many of the larger urban agglomerations found along extensive parts of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; much of the western and southern areas are either lightly populated or uninhabited

mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey

0-14 years

34.6% (male 7,447,266/female 7,130,883)

15-64 years

61.7% (male 13,064,516/female 12,907,702)

65 years and over

3.6% (2024 est.) (male 681,574/female 851,495)

beer

0.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

23.7 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

women married by age 15

7.2%

women married by age 18

27.9% (2018 est.)

3.9% (2018)

52.8% (2018)

5.1% of GDP (2020)

65.5% (2023 est.)

3.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

elderly dependency ratio

5.8

potential support ratio

17.1 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

71

youth dependency ratio

65.2

improved: rural

rural: 97.4% of population

improved: total

total: 99.3% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 2.6% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.7% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

4.7% of GDP (2016)

Arab 75-80%, Kurdish 15-20%, other 5% (includes Turkmen, Yezidi, Shabak, Kaka'i, Bedouin, Romani, Assyrian, Circassian, Sabaean-Mandaean, Persian)

note

note: data is a 1987 government estimate; no more recent reliable numbers are available

1.51 (2024 est.)

1.3 beds/1,000 population (2017)

female

17 deaths/1,000 live births

male

20.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total

18.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

Arabic (official), Kurdish (official); Turkmen (a Turkish dialect) and Syriac (Neo-Aramaic) are recognized as official languages where native speakers of these languages are present

major-language sample(s)

كتاب حقائق العالم، أحسن مصدر للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)ڕاستییەکانی جیهان، باشترین سەرچاوەیە بۆ زانیارییە بنەڕەتییەکان (Kurdish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

female

75.7 years

male

71.9 years

total population

73.7 years (2024 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

79.9% (2017)

male

91.2%

total population

85.6%

7.711 million BAGHDAD (capital), 1.792 million Mosul, 1.448 million Basra, 1.075 million Kirkuk, 958,000 Najaf, 897,000 Erbil (2023)

76 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

female

22.7 years

male

22 years

total

22.4 years (2024 est.)

adjective

Iraqi

noun

Iraqi(s)

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

30.4% (2016)

0.97 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

female

20,890,080 (2024 est.)

male

21,193,356

total

42,083,436

population is concentrated in the north, center, and eastern parts of the country, with many of the larger urban agglomerations found along extensive parts of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; much of the western and southern areas are either lightly populated or uninhabited

1.99% (2024 est.)

Muslim (official) 95-98% (Shia 61-64%, Sunni 29-34%), Christian 1% (includes Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Assyrian Church of the East), other 1-4% (2015 est.)

note

note: the last census in Iraq was in 1997; while there has been voluntary relocation of many Christian families to northern Iraq, the overall Christian population has decreased at least 50% and perhaps as much as 90% since 2003, according to US Embassy estimates, with many fleeing to Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.8 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

female

1.8% (2020 est.)

male

35.1% (2020 est.)

total

18.5% (2020 est.)

3.1 children born/woman (2024 est.)

rate of urbanization

2.91% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

71.6% of total population (2023)

18 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah (Arabic); parezgakan, singular - parezga (Kurdish)); 'Al Anbar; Al Basrah; Al Muthanna; Al Qadisiyah (Ad Diwaniyah); An Najaf; Arbil (Erbil) (Arabic), Hewler (Kurdish); As Sulaymaniyah (Arabic), Slemani (Kurdish); Babil; Baghdad; Dahuk (Arabic), Dihok (Kurdish); Dhi Qar; Diyala; Karbala'; Kirkuk; Maysan; Ninawa; Salah ad Din; Wasit

note

note: Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government administers Arbil, Dahuk, and As Sulaymaniyah (as Hewler, Dihok, and Slemani respectively)

etymology

although the origin of the name is disputed, it likely has compound Persian roots with bagh and dad meaning "god" and "given" respectively to create the meaning of "bestowed by God"

geographic coordinates

33 20 N, 44 24 E

name

Baghdad

time difference

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Iraq

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

amendments

proposed by the president of the republic and the Council of Minsters collectively, or by one fifth of the Council of Representatives members; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Council of Representatives, approval by referendum, and ratification by the president; passage of amendments to articles on citizen rights and liberties requires two-thirds majority vote of Council of Representatives members after two successive electoral terms, approval in a referendum, and ratification by the president

history

several previous; latest adopted by referendum 15 October 2005

conventional long form

Republic of Iraq

conventional short form

Iraq

etymology

the name probably derives from "Uruk" (Biblical "Erech"), the ancient Sumerian and Babylonian city on the Euphrates River

former

Mesopotamia, Mandatory Iraq, Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq

local long form

Jumhuriyat al-Iraq/Komar-i Eraq

local short form

Al Iraq/Eraq

chief of mission

Ambassador Alina L. ROMANOWSKI (since 2 June 2022)

email address and website

BaghdadACS@state.govhttps://iq.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Al-Kindi Street, International Zone, Baghdad; note - consulate in Al Basrah closed as of 28 September 2018

mailing address

6060 Baghdad Place, Washington DC  20521-6060

telephone

0760-030-3000

chancery

1801 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

chief of mission

Ambassador Nazar Issa Abdulhadi AL-KHIRULLAH (since 30 June 2023)

consulate(s) general

Detroit, Los Angeles

email address and website

washington@scrdiraq.gov.iqhttps://www.iraqiembassy.us/

FAX

[1] (202) 462-8815

telephone

[1] (202) 483-7500

cabinet

Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, approved by Council of Representatives (COR)

chief of state

President Latif RASHID (since 13 October 2022)

election results

2022: Latif RASHID elected president in second round; COR vote in first round - Latif RASHID (PUK) 157, Barham SALIH (PUK) 99; COR vote in second round - Latif RASHID 167, Barham SALIH 99; Mohammed Shia' al-SUDANI approved as prime minister2018: Barham SALIH elected president in second round; COR vote in first round - Barham SALIH (PUK) 165, Fuad HUSAYN (KDP) 90; COR vote in second round - Barham SALIH 219, Fuad HUSAYN 22; Adil ABD AL-MAHDI approved as prime minister

elections/appointments

president indirectly elected by COR to serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); COR parliamentary election for president last held on 13 October 2022 (next to be held NA)

head of government

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-SUDANI (since 27 October 2022)

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the Takbir (Arabic expression meaning "God is great") in green Arabic script is centered in the white band; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white); the Council of Representatives approved this flag in 2008 as a compromise replacement for the Ba'thist SADDAM-era flag

note

note: similar to the flag of Syria, which has two stars but no script; Yemen, which has a plain white band; and that of Egypt, which has a golden Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band

federal parliamentary republic

3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration); note - on 28 June 2004 the Coalition Provisional Authority transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

ABEDA, AFESD, AIIB, AMF, CAEU, CICA, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

highest court(s)

Federal Supreme Court or FSC (consists of 9 judges); note - court jurisdiction limited to constitutional issues, application of federal laws, ratification of election results for the COR, judicial competency disputes, and disputes between regions or governorates and the central government; Court of Cassation (consists of a court president, 5 vice presidents, and at least 24 judges)

judge selection and term of office

Federal Supreme Court (FSC) judges nominated by the High Judicial Council (HJC) president, the FSC chief justice, the public prosecutor's office chief, and the head of the Judicial Oversight Commission; FSC members required to retire at age 72; Court of Cassation judges appointed by the HJC and confirmed by the Council of Representatives to serve until retirement, nominally at age 63, but can be extended to age 66 by the HJC

subordinate courts

Courts of Appeal (governorate level); civil courts, including first instance, personal status, labor, and customs; criminal courts including felony, misdemeanor, investigative, major crimes, juvenile, and traffic courts

mixed legal system of civil and Islamic law

description

unicameral Council of Representatives of Iraq (COR) or Majlis an-Nuwwab al-Iraqiyy (329 seats; 320 members directly elected in 83 multi-seat constituencies by single nontransferable vote, 9 seats elected by religious minorities - 5 by Christians, 1 each by Sabaean-Mandaeans, Yazidis, Shabaks andFayli Kurds, and 25% of seats allocated to women; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - Taqadum 47, State of Law Coalition 43, Al Fatah Alliance 37, Kurdistan Democratic Party 31, Kurdistan Coalition 18, Azm Alliance 16, Imtidad 16, State Forces Alliance 11, Ishraqat Kanun 10, New Generation Movement 9, National Contract Party 8, Tasmim Alliance 7, Babiliyun Movement 3, other 73; composition - men 234, women 95, percentage women 29.2%

elections

last held on 10 October 2021 (next to be held in 2025)

note

note: seat counts reflect updated numbers following the 12 June 2022 Sadrist Trend withdrawal from government formation; its 73 seats were reallocated to other parties

lyrics/music

Ibrahim TOUQAN/Mohammad FLAYFEL

name

"Mawtini" (My Homeland)

note

note: adopted 2004; following the ouster of SADDAM Husayn, Iraq adopted "Mawtini," a popular folk song throughout the Arab world; also serves as an unofficial anthem of the Palestinian people

selected World Heritage Site locales

Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (c); Babylon (c); Erbil Citadel (c); Hatra (c); Samarra Archaeological City (c); The Ahwar (Marshland) of Southern Iraq: Refuge of Biodiversity and the Relict Landscape of the Mesopotamian Cities (m)

total World Heritage Sites

6 (5 cultural, 1 mixed)

Independence Day, 3 October (1932); Republic Day, 14 July (1958)

golden eagle; national colors: red, white, black

Al Fatah AllianceAzm AllianceBabiliyun MovementImtidadIshraqat KonunKurdistan Democratic PartyNational Contract PartyNew Generation MovementPatriotic Union of KurdistanSadrist BlocState Forces AllianceState of Law CoalitionTaqadumTasmim Alliance

18 years of age; universal

wheat, dates, tomatoes, maize, watermelons, grapes, potatoes, milk, cucumbers/gherkins, eggplants (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

on alcohol and tobacco

4.3% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

28.8% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

expenditures

$64.512 billion (2019 est.)

note

note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$90.204 billion (2019 est.)

Fitch rating

B- (2015)

Moody's rating

Caa1 (2017)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

B- (2015)

Current account balance 2020

-$6.306 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

$24.565 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

$58.01 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external 2022

$15.065 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

highly oil-dependent Middle Eastern economy; fiscal sustainability subject to fluctuation in oil prices; rising public confidence in economic conditions; import-dependent for most sectors; persistent challenges of corruption, informal markets, banking access, and political fragility

Currency

Iraqi dinars (IQD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

1,182 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

1,192 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

1,450 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

1,450 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

1,312.5 (2023 est.)

Exports 2020

$50.666 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$78.261 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$127.079 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

crude petroleum, refined petroleum, gold, petroleum coke, natural gas (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

India 32%, China 28%, US 8%, South Korea 7%, Greece 5% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

exports of goods and services

37.3% (2021 est.)

government consumption

17.7% (2021 est.)

household consumption

40.3% (2021 est.)

imports of goods and services

-24.2% (2021 est.)

investment in fixed capital

10.1% (2021 est.)

investment in inventories

11.3% (2021 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture

2.8% (2023 est.)

industry

55.6% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

42.3% (2023 est.)

$250.843 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Imports 2020

$54.865 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$50.707 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$69.162 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, cars, jewelry, garments (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

UAE 32%, China 21%, Turkey 20%, India 4%, South Korea 2% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

-6.34% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

petroleum, chemicals, textiles, leather, construction materials, food processing, fertilizer, metal fabrication/processing

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

0.57% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

6.04% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

4.99% (2022 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

11.812 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

23% (2014 est.)

note

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Public debt 2018

27.44% of GDP (2018 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$548.372 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$590.267 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$572.939 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

1.5% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

7.64% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

-2.94% (2023 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$12,600 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$13,300 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$12,600 (2023 est.)

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

0.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

0.38% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.35% of GDP (2023 est.)

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$64.231 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$97.009 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$112.233 billion (2023 est.)

1.34% (of GDP) (2019 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

16.17% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

15.59% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

15.53% (2023 est.)

female

62% (2023 est.)

male

27.8% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

32.2% (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke

6,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

37.858 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

119.027 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

156.892 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

imports

3,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

consumption

65.908 billion kWh (2022 est.)

imports

3.534 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

31.339 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

71.17 billion kWh (2022 est.)

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

98% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

57.702 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

consumption

19.298 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

imports

9.438 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

9.86 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves

3.729 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

145.019 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

918,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

total petroleum production

4.437 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

16 (2020 est.)

total

6,254,099 (2020 est.)

the number of private radio and TV stations has increased rapidly since 2003; government-owned TV and radio stations are operated by the publicly funded Iraqi Media Network; private broadcast media are mostly linked to political, ethnic, or religious groups; satellite TV is available to an estimated 70% of viewers and many of the broadcasters are based abroad; transmissions of multiple international radio broadcasters are accessible (2019)

.iq

percent of population

49% (2021 est.)

total

21.56 million (2021 est.)

domestic

about 7 per 100 for fixed-line and 86 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2021)

general assessment

civil stability has made it easier for mobile and fixed-line operators to rebuild telecom services and infrastructure damaged during previous periods of violence; the government extended the licenses held by the MNOs for an additional three years to compensate for the chaos and destruction caused between 2014 and 2017 when Islamic State controlled many areas of the country; the companies have struggled to develop LTE services; most services are still based on GSM and 3G, except in Iraq's Kurdistan region where LTE is more widely available (2022)

international

country code - 964; landing points for FALCON, and GBICS/MENA submarine cables providing connections to the Middle East, Africa and India; satellite earth stations - 4 (2 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean, 1 Intersputnik - Atlantic Ocean region, and 1 Arabsat (inoperative)); local microwave radio relay connects border regions to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey (2019)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

5 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

2.392 million (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

98 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

43.688 million (2022 est.)

71 (2024)

YI

10 (2024)

by type

general cargo 1, oil tanker 6, other 67

total

74 (2023)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

16.2 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

2,075,065 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

34

number of registered air carriers

4 (2020)

2,455 km gas, 913 km liquid petroleum gas, 5,432 km oil, 1,637 km refined products (2013)

key ports

Al Basrah, Al-Basra Oil Terminal, Khawr Al Amaya, Khawr Al Zubair, Umm Qasr

medium

1

ports with oil terminals

3

small

1

total ports

6 (2024)

very small

4

standard gauge

2,272 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

total

2,272 km (2014)

total

58,592 km (2021)

5,279 km (2012) (the Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,899 km), and Third River (565 km) are the principal waterways)

the Iraqi security forces (ISF) are primarily focused on internal security duties; they are actively conducting counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) terrorist group, particularly in northern and western Iraq; the Counter Terrorism Service (CTS), which is comprised of three special forces brigades, is the ISF's principal operational unit against ISISKurdish Security Forces (KSF, aka Peshmerga) also conduct operations against ISIS; the KSF are recognized as a legitimate Iraqi military force under the country’s constitution and have operated jointly with the Iraqi military against ISIS militants, but largely operate outside of Iraqi military command structure; since 2021, the ISF and the KSF have conducted joint counter-ISIS operations in an area known as the Kurdish Coordination Line (KCL), a swath of disputed territory in northern Iraq claimed by both the Kurdistan Regional Government and the central Iraqi Government; the KSF/Peshmerga report to the Kurdistan Regional Government or Kurdistan Democratic Party and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan parties instead of the Iraqi Ministry of DefensePopular Mobilization Commission and Affiliated Forces (PMF or PMC), also known as Popular Mobilization Units (PMU, or al-Hashd al-Sha’abi in Arabic), tribal militia units have fought alongside the Iraqi military against ISIS since 2014, but the majority of these forces continue to largely ignore the 2016 Law of the Popular Mobilization Authority, which mandated that armed militias must be regulated in a fashion similar to Iraq’s other security forces and act under the Iraqi Government’s direct control; the Iraqi Government funds the PMF, and the prime minister legally commands it, but many of the militia units take orders from associated political parties and/or other government officials, including some with ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and some that have been designated as terrorist organizations by the US; the PMF/PMU is an umbrella organization comprised of many different militias, the majority of which are Shia: --Shia militias backed by Iran; they are considered the most active and capable, and include such groups as the Badr Organization (Saraya al-Sala), Asaib Ahl al-Haq, and Kataib Hizballah --Shia militias affiliated with Shia political parties, but not aligned with Iran, such as the Peace Brigades (Saray al-Salam) --Shia militias not connected with political parties, but affiliated with the Najaf-based Grand Ayatollah Ali al-SISTANI (Iraq’s supreme Shia cleric), such as the Hawza militias--other PMF/PMU militias include Sunni Tribal Mobilization militias, or Hashd al-Asha’iri; some of these militias take orders from the ISF and local authorities while others respond to orders from the larger Shia PMU militias; still other militias include Yazidi and Christian militias and the Turkmen brigades; the links of these forces to the PMU are not always clear-cut and may be loosely based on financial, legal, or political incentivestwo international military task forces operate in Iraq to assist the country's security forces at the request of the Iraqi Government; in October 2018, NATO established an advisory, training and capacity-building mission for the Iraqi military known as the NATO Mission Iraq (NMI); in December 2021, a US-led task force that leads the defeat ISIS mission in Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), transitioned from a combat role to an advise, assist, and enable role (2024)

Ministry of Defense: Iraqi Army, Army Aviation Command, Iraqi Navy, Iraqi Air Force, Iraqi Air Defense Command, Special Forces Command, Special Security DivisionNational-Level Security Forces: Iraqi Counterterrorism Service (CTS; reports to the Prime Minister), Prime Minister's Special Forces (Security) Division, Presidential BrigadesMinistry of Interior: Federal Police Forces Command, Border Guard Forces Command, Federal Intelligence and Investigations Agency, Emergency Response Division, Facilities Protection Directorate, and Provincial PoliceMinistry of Oil: Energy Police DirectoratePopular Mobilization Committee (PMC): Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Tribal Mobilization Forces (TMF); the PMF and TMF are a collection of more than 50 militias of widely varied sizes and political intereststhe federal constitution provides the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) the right to maintain its own military/militia (peshmerga) and security forces, but the two main Kurdish political parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), each maintain their own forces and participate in the staffing of the joint KDP-PUK Regional Guard Brigades: KRG Ministry of Peshmerga: Unit (or Division) 70 Forces and Counter Terrorism Group (CTG) of the PUK; Unit (or Division) 80 Forces and Counterterrorism Directorate (CTD) of the KDP; Regional Guard BrigadesKRG Ministry of Interior: both the KDP and PUK maintain separate police, emergency response, and internal security/intelligence (Asayish) services under nominal Ministry of Interior control (2024)

note

note: the Iraqi military and associated forces are collectively known as the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF)

information varies; approximately 200,000 personnel under the Ministry of Defense (190,000 Army/Aviation Command/Special Forces; 5,000 Navy; 5,000 Air/Air Defense Forces); approximately 20-25,000 National-Level Security Forces; estimated 200,000+ Popular Mobilization ForcesMinistry of Peshmerga: approximately 150,000 (45-50,000 Regional Guard Brigades; 40-45,000 Unit 70 Forces; 65-70,000 Unit 80 Forces) (2023)

the Iraqi military's inventory includes a mix of equipment from a wide variety of sources, including China, several European countries, South Africa, South Korea, Russia, and the US (2024)

Military Expenditures 2019

3.8% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

4.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

3.7% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

2.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

3% of GDP (2023 est.)

18-40 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2023)

note

note: service in the armed forces was mandatory in Iraq from 1935 up until 2003; in 2021, the Iraqi cabinet approved a draft law to reinstate compulsory military service and referred the proposed law to the Iraqi parliament; as of 2023, the proposed law had been shelved

IDPs

1.142 million (displacement in central and northern Iraq since January 2014) (2023)

refugees (country of origin)

7,864 (West Bank and Gaza Strip) (mid-year 2022); 273,258 (Syria), 8,575 (Iran), 8,091 (Turkey) (2023)

stateless persons

47,253 (2022); note - in the 1970s and 1980s under SADDAM Husayn's regime, thousands of Iraq's Faili Kurds, followers of Shia Islam, were stripped of their Iraqi citizenship, had their property seized by the government, and many were deported; some Faili Kurds had their citizenship reinstated under the 2006 Iraqi Nationality Law, but others lack the documentation to prove their Iraqi origins; some Palestinian refugees persecuted by the SADDAM regime remain stateless

Ansar al-Islam; Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Jaysh Rijal al-Tariq al-Naqshabandi; Kata'ib Hizballah; Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

carbon dioxide emissions

190.06 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

17.44 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

39.29 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in central and southern Iraq

government water control projects drained most of the inhabited marsh areas east of An Nasiriyah by drying up or diverting the feeder streams and rivers; a once sizable population of Marsh Arabs, who inhabited these areas for thousands of years, has been displaced; furthermore, the destruction of the natural habitat poses serious threats to the area's wildlife populations; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil degradation (salination) and erosion; desertification; military and industrial infrastructure has released heavy metals and other hazardous substances into the air, soil, and groundwater; major sources of environmental damage are effluents from oil refineries, factory and sewage discharges into rivers, fertilizer and chemical contamination of the soil, and industrial air pollution in urban areas

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Environmental Modification

severe localized food insecurity

due to civil conflict and economic slowdown - the 2022 Humanitarian Needs Overview identified 2.5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, of which 960,000 have acute humanitarian needs; while the number of people in need remained similar to the previous year, the severity of those needs increased, largely due to the impact of the COVID‑19 pandemic on top of an existing humanitarian crisis, leading to a 35% increase in the number of people in acute need; more than half of these are concentrated in the governorates of Nineveh and Anbar; the number of severely food insecure people is estimated at about 435,000, while 731,000 are vulnerable to food insecurity (2022)

agricultural land

18.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 8.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 9.2% (2018 est.)

forest

1.9% (2018 est.)

other

80% (2018 est.)

Arabian Aquifer System

fresh water lake(s)

Lake Hammar - 1,940 sq km

Euphrates river mouth (shared with Turkey[s], Syria, and Iran) - 3,596 km; Tigris river mouth (shared with Turkey[s], Syria, and Iran) - 1,950 km; the Tigris and Euphrates join to form the Shatt al Arabnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Indian Ocean drainage: (Persian Gulf) Tigris and Euphrates (918,044 sq km)

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

89.86 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural

44.23 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

5.49 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

6.9 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

rate of urbanization

2.91% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

71.6% of total population (2023)

municipal solid waste generated annually

13.14 million tons (2015 est.)