01
Physical geography
Mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey.
Local timeBaghdad ·
Asia / Western Asia · Card 016
Iraq
Iraq is a country in Western Asia. Its capital is Baghdad.
Find Iraq
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Baghdad
- Languages
- Arabic & Kurdish
- Currency
- Iraqi dinar (IQD)
- Population
- 47.0 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 438,317 km²169,235 square miles
- Independence
- 1932
Iraq in context
Asia and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Baghdad; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Arabic and Kurdish are official languages. Turkmen, Syriac and Armenian have additional constitutional protections and local-language provisions.
03
Location
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait.
Flag
Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the Takbir (Arabic phrase meaning "God is great") in green Arabic script is centered in the white band
History & independence
Modern Iraq emerged after the First World War under British administration and became independent in 1932. A 1958 revolution ended the monarchy. The 2003 US-led invasion overthrew Saddam Hussein; a new constitution adopted in 2005 established a federal system.
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Independence
-
Monarchy overthrown
-
Federal constitution adopted
Economy
Main activities
Oil exports are central to public revenue and foreign earnings. Public services, commerce, construction and agriculture also contribute; infrastructure and diversification remain major development priorities.
Industry and production
petroleum, chemicals, textiles, leather, construction materials, food processing, fertilizer, metal fabrication/processing
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people47.02025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 9,735,611 | 9.736 |
| 1980 | 13,591,992 | 13.592 |
| 1990 | 17,581,206 | 17.581 |
| 2000 | 24,424,056 | 24.424 |
| 2010 | 31,045,366 | 31.045 |
| 2020 | 42,116,605 | 42.117 |
| 2025 | 47,020,774 | 47.021 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars188.32025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 62,001,516,292 | 62.002 |
| 1991 | 22,291,338,827 | 22.291 |
| 1992 | 29,556,579,056 | 29.557 |
| 1993 | 38,509,216,456 | 38.509 |
| 1994 | 39,993,566,700 | 39.994 |
| 1995 | 40,841,438,912 | 40.841 |
| 1996 | 45,342,486,348 | 45.342 |
| 1997 | 54,972,294,638 | 54.972 |
| 1998 | 74,213,129,684 | 74.213 |
| 1999 | 87,259,924,322 | 87.260 |
| 2000 | 101,916,218,527 | 101.916 |
| 2001 | 103,716,679,378 | 103.717 |
| 2002 | 95,208,069,161 | 95.208 |
| 2003 | 60,307,856,289 | 60.308 |
| 2004 | 92,503,535,427 | 92.504 |
| 2005 | 94,053,181,142 | 94.053 |
| 2006 | 99,356,180,856 | 99.356 |
| 2007 | 101,232,561,441 | 101.233 |
| 2008 | 109,562,085,020 | 109.562 |
| 2009 | 113,264,515,567 | 113.265 |
| 2010 | 120,516,349,622 | 120.516 |
| 2011 | 129,611,081,239 | 129.611 |
| 2012 | 147,674,239,073 | 147.674 |
| 2013 | 158,939,252,264 | 158.939 |
| 2014 | 162,537,141,324 | 162.537 |
| 2015 | 166,774,104,959 | 166.774 |
| 2016 | 189,767,872,908 | 189.768 |
| 2017 | 186,314,571,375 | 186.315 |
| 2018 | 191,221,819,559 | 191.222 |
| 2019 | 201,765,390,231 | 201.765 |
| 2020 | 177,479,307,670 | 177.479 |
| 2021 | 180,145,367,593 | 180.145 |
| 2022 | 194,483,223,959 | 194.483 |
| 2023 | 195,490,074,355 | 195.490 |
| 2024 | 192,469,260,104 | 192.469 |
| 2025 | 188,320,119,060 | 188.320 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.695Medium human developmentRank 126 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.531
20000.592
20100.650
20200.680
20230.695
72.3 yearsLife expectancy at birth
6.8 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Federal parliamentary republic. Council of Representatives of Iraq has one chamber (a unicameral legislature).
Knowledge check
Three questions about Iraq.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which city is identified as the capital of Iraq?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.