Iraq

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

33 00 N, 44 00 E

Middle East

438,317 sq km

437,367 sq km

950 sq km

Slightly more than three times the size of New York State

3,809 km

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

58 km

12 nm

Not specified

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

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

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

Persian Gulf 0 m

312 m

Petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur

21.8% (2023 est.)

Arable land: 11.4% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops: 1.2% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture: 9.2% (2023 est.)

1.6% (2023 est.)

76.5% (2023 est.)

35,250 sq km (2012)

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 Arab note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

(Persian Gulf) Tigris and Euphrates (918,044 sq km)

Arabian Aquifer System

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

Dust storms; sandstorms; floods

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

42,917,742 (2025 est.)

21,614,894

21,302,848

Iraqi(s)

Iraqi

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

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

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.

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.)

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

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

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

60.5 (2025 est.)

54.6 (2025 est.)

5.9 (2025 est.)

16.9 (2025 est.)

22.7 years (2025 est.)

22 years

22.7 years

1.94% (2025 est.)

23.26 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

3.86 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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

71.6% of total population (2023)

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

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

1.05 male(s)/female

1.04 male(s)/female

1.01 male(s)/female

0.8 male(s)/female

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

66 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

18.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

20.4 deaths/1,000 live births

17 deaths/1,000 live births

73.7 years (2024 est.)

71.9 years

75.7 years

3.03 children born/woman (2025 est.)

1.48 (2025 est.)

Urban: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)

Rural: 94.8% of population (2022 est.)

Total: 98.4% of population (2022 est.)

Urban: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)

Rural: 5.2% of population (2022 est.)

Total: 1.6% of population (2022 est.)

5.2% of GDP (2021)

5.8% of national budget (2022 est.)

1.02 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

1.3 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Urban: 98.8% of population (2022 est.)

Rural: 97.6% of population (2022 est.)

Total: 98.5% of population (2022 est.)

Urban: 1.2% of population (2022 est.)

Rural: 2.4% of population (2022 est.)

Total: 1.5% of population (2022 est.)

30.4% (2016)

0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

0.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

18.6% (2025 est.)

36.2% (2025 est.)

1.3% (2025 est.)

3.9% (2018 est.)

64.3% (2018 est.)

7.2% (2018)

27.9% (2018)

4.7% of GDP (2016)

84.1% (2021 est.)

90.3% (2021 est.)

77.8% (2021 est.)

Habitat loss from wetland draining; inadequate potable water; soil degradation (salination) and erosion; desertification; air, soil, and groundwater pollution from military and industries; water pollution from oil refineries and factory and sewage discharges; soil pollution from fertilizer and chemicals; air pollution in urban areas

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

Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Environmental Modification

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

21.8% (2023 est.)

Arable land: 11.4% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops: 1.2% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture: 9.2% (2023 est.)

1.6% (2023 est.)

76.5% (2023 est.)

71.6% of total population (2023)

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

190.815 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

7,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

152.931 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

37.878 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

45.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

2,243 kt (2022-2024 est.)

157 kt (2019-2021 est.)

325 kt (2019-2021 est.)

2.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)

13.14 million tons (2024 est.)

15.4% (2022 est.)

6.735 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

4.52 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

31.169 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

89.86 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Republic of Iraq

Iraq

Jumhuriyat al-Iraq/Komar-i Eraq

Al Iraq/Eraq

Mesopotamia, Mandatory Iraq, Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq

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

Federal parliamentary republic

Baghdad

33 20 N, 44 24 E

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

The origin of the name is unclear; it may mean "gift of God," from the pre-Islamic words bagh (god) and dad (given)

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

Mixed system of civil and Islamic law

Several previous; latest adopted by referendum 15 October 2005

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

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

No

At least one parent must be a citizen of Iraq

Yes

10 years

18 years of age; universal

President Latif RASHID (since 13 October 2022)

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

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

President indirectly elected by COR to serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term)

13 October 2022

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 minister 2018: 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

Council of Representatives of Iraq

Unicameral

329 (all directly elected)

Other systems

Full renewal

4 years

11/11/2025

Reconstruction & Development Coalition, The Progress (Taqaddum) Party, State of Law Coalition, Sadiqoun Movement, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Badr Organization, National State Forces Alliance, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Azm Alliance, National Sovereignty, Ishraqat Kanun, Asas (Iraqi Foundation) Coalition, Tasmeem Alliance, Huquq Movement, National Resolve (Hasm)

28.9%

November 2029

Federal Supreme Court or FSC (consists of 9 judges); Court of Cassation (consists of a court president, 5 vice presidents, and at least 24 judges)

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

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

Al Fatah Alliance Azm Alliance Babiliyun Movement Imtidad Ishraqat Konun Kurdistan Democratic Party National Contract Party New Generation Movement Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Sadrist Bloc State Forces Alliance State of Law Coalition Taqadum Tasmim Alliance

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

1801 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

[1] (202) 483-7500

[1] (202) 462-8815

Washington@scrdiraq.gov.iq https://www.iraqiembassy.us/

Detroit, Los Angeles

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Ambassador Joshua HARRIS (since 2 September 2025)

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

6060 Baghdad Place, Washington DC 20521-6060

0760-030-3000

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

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)

3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)

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

Description: 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 meaning: the colors come from the Arab Liberation flag and stand for oppression (black) overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white) history: the Council of Representatives approved this flag in 2008 as a compromise replacement for the Ba'thist SADDAM-era flag

Golden eagle

Red, white, black

"Mawtini" (My Homeland)

Ibrahim TOUQAN/Mohammad FLAYFEL

Adopted 2004, after the ouster of SADDAM Husayn; popular Arab folk song that also serves as an unofficial anthem for the Palestinian people

6 (5 cultural, 1 mixed)

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)

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

$585.887 billion (2024 est.)

$595.082 billion (2023 est.)

$592.017 billion (2022 est.)

-1.5% (2024 est.)

0.5% (2023 est.)

8% (2022 est.)

$12,700 (2024 est.)

$13,200 (2023 est.)

$13,400 (2022 est.)

$279.641 billion (2024 est.)

4.4% (2023 est.)

5% (2022 est.)

6% (2021 est.)

3.4% (2024 est.)

51.6% (2024 est.)

45.8% (2024 est.)

41.2% (2024 est.)

20.3% (2024 est.)

20.6% (2024 est.)

8.8% (2024 est.)

37.5% (2024 est.)

-37.2% (2024 est.)

Wheat, dates, maize, tomatoes, rye, grapes, milk, chicken, potatoes, fruits (2023)

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

-2.7% (2024 est.)

12.008 million (2024 est.)

15.6% (2024 est.)

15.5% (2023 est.)

15.6% (2022 est.)

32.1% (2024 est.)

27.5% (2024 est.)

62.7% (2024 est.)

29.8 (2023 est.)

28.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

4.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

3.7% (2023 est.)

24.2% (2023 est.)

0.4% of GDP (2023 est.)

0.4% of GDP (2022 est.)

0.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

$90.204 billion (2019 est.)

$64.512 billion (2019 est.)

27.4% of GDP (2018 est.)

1.3% (of GDP) (2019 est.)

$28.375 billion (2023 est.)

$58.01 billion (2022 est.)

$24.565 billion (2021 est.)

$107.852 billion (2023 est.)

$127.079 billion (2022 est.)

$78.26 billion (2021 est.)

China 33%, India 28%, USA 8%, Greece 5%, UAE 5% (2023)

Crude petroleum, refined petroleum, petroleum coke, gold, natural gas (2023)

$81.179 billion (2023 est.)

$69.162 billion (2022 est.)

$50.707 billion (2021 est.)

UAE 32%, China 20%, Turkey 18%, India 5%, USA 2% (2023)

Refined petroleum, cars, broadcasting equipment, jewelry, gold (2023)

$100.691 billion (2024 est.)

$112.233 billion (2023 est.)

$97.009 billion (2022 est.)

$15.58 billion (2023 est.)

Iraqi dinars (IQD) per US dollar -

1,300 (2024 est.)

1,312.5 (2023 est.)

1,450 (2022 est.)

1,450 (2021 est.)

1,192 (2020 est.)

100% (2022 est.)

31.339 million kW (2023 est.)

73.521 billion kWh (2023 est.)

3.134 billion kWh (2023 est.)

79.904 billion kWh (2023 est.)

98.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

0.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

3,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

4.448 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

1.043 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

145.019 billion barrels (2021 est.)

10.537 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

19.308 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

8.771 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

3.729 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

64.311 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

1.977 million (2023 est.)

4 (2023 est.)

46.1 million (2024 est.)

100 (2024 est.)

The number of private radio and TV stations has increased rapidly since 2003; state-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 about 70% of viewers; many broadcasters are based abroad; transmissions of multiple international radio broadcasters are accessible (2019)

.iq

82% (2023 est.)

7.77 million (2023 est.)

17 (2023 est.)

YI

73 (2025)

10 (2025)

2,272 km (2014)

2,272 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

74 (2023)

General cargo 1, oil tanker 6, other 67

6 (2024)

0

1

1

4

3

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

Ministry of Defense: Iraqi Army, Iraqi Navy, Iraqi Air Force Office of the Prime Minister: Iraqi Counterterrorism Service (CTS); Popular Mobilization Committee (PMC) Ministry of Interior: Federal Police Forces Command, Border Guard Forces Command, Federal Intelligence and Investigations Agency, Emergency Response Division, Facilities Protection Directorate, and Provincial Police; Ministry of Oil: Energy Police Directorate (2025)

2.5% of GDP (2024 est.)

2.5% of GDP (2023 est.)

1.8% of GDP (2022 est.)

3% of GDP (2021 est.)

3.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Estimated 200,000 active armed forces personnel under the Ministry of Defense (Army, Aviation Command, Air/Air Defense, Navy, Special Forces); approximately 20-25,000 National-Level Security Forces Ministry of Peshmerga: estimated 150,000 active personnel Popular Mobilization Forces: estimated 200,000 militia (2025)

The Iraqi military's inventory includes a mix of European, Russian, Soviet-era, and US armaments (2025)

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2025)

The Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) are primarily focused on internal and border security; 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 operations include securing the border with Syria; the Kurdish Security Forces, as well as are also active in conducting operations against ISIS two international military task forces operate in Iraq to assist the country's security forces at the request of the Iraqi Government; in 2018, NATO established an advisory, training and capacity-building mission for the Iraqi military known as the NATO Mission Iraq (NMI); in December 2021, the US-led Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) transitioned from a combat role to an advise, assist, and enable role (2025)

Ansar al-Islam; Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Harakat al-Nujaba (HAN); Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya (HAAA); Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Jaysh Rijal al-Tariq al-Naqshabandi; Kata'ib Hizballah; Kata’ib al-Imam Ali (KIA); Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS); Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)

335,343 (2024 est.)

1,201,813 (2024 est.)

233 (2024 est.)