Iraq: Governorates, Major Cities & Urban Centers - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information

Governorates

The population of the governorates of Iraq according to census results and latest official estimates and projections.

Name	Abbr.	Native	Capital	Area A-L (km²)	Population Census (C) 1977-10-17	Population Census (C) 1987-10-17	Population Census (C) 1997-10-17	Population Estimate (E) 2009-10-17	Population Estimate (E) 2018-07-01
Iraq	IRQ	العراق	Baghdād	435,050	12,000,497	16,335,198	22,046,244	31,664,466	38,124,182
Al-Anbār	ANB	الانبار	Ar-Ramādī	135,000	466,100	820,690	1,023,736	1,483,359	1,771,656	13500000
Al-Baṣrah [Basra]	BSR	البصرة	Al-Baṣrah	19,070	1,008,600	872,176	1,556,445	2,405,434	2,908,491	1907000
Al-Muthannā	MTN	المثنى	As-Samāwah	51,740	215,600	315,815	436,825	683,126	814,371	5174000
Al-Qādisiyah	QAD	القادسية	Ad-Dīwāniyah	8,150	423,000	559,805	751,331	1,077,614	1,291,048	815000
An-Najaf	NJF	النجف	An-Najaf	28,820	389,700	590,078	775,042	1,221,228	1,471,592	2882000
Arbīl [Erbil]	ARB	أربيل	Arbīl	12,000	541,500	770,439	1,095,992	1,532,081	1,854,778	1200000
As-Sulaymānīyah	SLM	السليمانية	As-Sulaymāniyah	20,000	690,600	951,723	1,362,739	1,694,895	2,053,000	2000000
Bābil [Babylon]	BAB	بابل	Al-Ḥillah	5,800	592,000	1,109,574	1,181,751	1,729,666	2,065,042	580000
Baghdād	BGD	بغداد	Baghdād	5,200	3,189,700	3,841,268	5,423,964	6,702,538	8,126,755	520000
Dahūk [Dohuk]	DHK	دهوك	Dahūk	10,000	250,600	293,304	402,970	1,072,324	1,292,535	1000000
Dhī Qār [Theqar]	DHI	ذي قار	An-Nāṣiriyah	12,900	623,000	921,066	1,184,796	1,744,398	2,095,172	1290000
Diyālā	DYL	ديالى	Ba'qūbah	14,700	587,800	961,073	1,135,223	1,371,035	1,637,226	1470000
Ḥalābjah [Halabja]	HLB	حلبجة	Ḥalabjah	880	...	...	...	89,958	109,000	88000
Karbalā' [Karbala]	KRB	كربلاء	Karbalā'	5,030	269,800	469,282	594,235	1,013,254	1,218,732	503000
Kirkūk (At-Ta'mīn)	KRK	كركوك	Kirkūk	10,500	495,400	601,219	753,171	1,325,853	1,597,876	1050000
Maysān	MYS	ميسان	Al-'Amārah	16,070	372,600	487,448	637,126	922,890	1,112,673	1607000
Nīnawā [Nineveh]	NIN	نينوى	Al-Mawṣil	36,700	1,105,700	1,479,430	2,042,852	3,106,948	3,729,998	3670000
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn [Saladin]	SLD	صلاح الدين	Tikrīt	26,000	363,800	726,138	904,432	1,337,786	1,595,235	2600000
Wasiṭ	WST	واسط	Al-Kūt	17,150	415,100	564,670	783,614	1,150,079	1,378,723	1715000

The 1997 figures of the Kurdish governorates are not census results, but estimates. The 2009 figures refer to the population estimation done by the household listing in 2009; the exact reference day is uncertain.
Dohuk, Erbil, Halabja and Sulaymaniyah form the Kurdistan Region with a population of 4.389.258 in 2009 and 5,309,592 in 2018. Halabja Governorate was split from Sulaymaniyah Governorate in 2014 after decisions of Kurdish authorities. Further Kurdish boundaries as recognized by Iraq in 2005.
(1977) Statistisches Bundesamt: Statistik des Auslands - Irak, 1986.
(1987) Britannica Book of the Year 1990.
(1997) (2009) (2018) Central Organization for Statistics and Information Technology (web).

Major Cities

	Name	Adm.	Population Calculation (UE-E) 2018-07-01
1	Baghdād	BGD	6,719,500
2	Al-Mawṣil	NIN	1,361,800
3	Al-Baṣrah	BSR	1,340,800
4	Kirkūk	KRK	972,300
5	Arbīl	ARB	879,000
6	An-Najaf	NJF	747,300
7	Karbalā'	KRB	711,500
8	As-Sulaymāniyah	SLM	676,500
9	An-Nāṣiriyah	DHI	558,400
10	Al-'Amārah	MYS	527,500

Contents: Cities & Urban Centers

The population of the cities and urban centers of Iraq with more than 20,000 inhabitants according to census results and latest estimates and calculations.

Name	Native	Adm.	Population Census (C) 1987-10-17	Population Estimate (E) 2009-07-01	Population Calculation (UE-E) 2018-07-01
Abī Gharaq	أبي غرق	BAB	...	20,982	25,600
Abū al-Kahṣīb	أبو الخصيب	BSR	...	168,102	206,500
Ad-Daghārah	الدغارة	QAD	...	16,886	20,500
Ad-Daīr	الدیر	BSR	...	25,398	31,200
Ad-Dawāyah	الدوایة	DHI	...	30,905	37,900
Ad-Dawr	الدور	SLD	...	18,763	22,800
Ad-Dibs	الدبس	KRK	...	17,073	21,200
Ad-Dīwāniyah [Diwaniyah]	الديوانية	QAD	196,519	332,124	403,800
Ad-Dujaīl	الدجیل	SLD	...	29,909	36,400
'Afak	عفك	QAD	...	29,228	35,500
'Ākra (Akrê)	ئاكرى	DHK	...	55,961	68,100
Al-'Amārah [Amarah]	العمارة	MYS	208,797	428,804	527,500
Al-'Āmriyah	العامریة	ANB	...	19,500	24,000
Al-'Azīziyah	العزیزیة	WST	...	44,868	55,900
Al-Ba'āj	البعاج	NIN	...	24,317	29,100
Al-Baṣrah (incl. Al-Hāriṭah) [Basra]	البصرة	BSR	406,296	1,091,627	1,340,800
Al-Baṭḥā'a	البطحاء	DHI	...	21,075	25,800
Al-Budaīr	البدیر	QAD	...	16,330	19,900
Al-Fajr	الفجر	DHI	...	23,442	28,700
Al-Fallūjah [Fallujah]	الفلوجة	ANB	...	203,451	250,900
Al-Fāw	الفاو	BSR	...	29,176	35,800
Al-Fuhūd	الفھود	DHI	...	23,127	28,300
Al-Gharrāf	الغراف	DHI	...	39,624	48,600
Al-Ḥabbāniyah	الحبانیة	ANB	...	26,184	32,300
Al-Ḥamzah	الحمزة	QAD	...	71,346	86,700
Al-Hāshmiyah	الھاشمیة	BAB	...	30,511	37,300
Al-Ḥawījah	الحویجة	KRK	...	36,776	45,700
Al-Ḥayy	الحي	WST	...	68,640	85,500
Al-Ḥillah [Hillah]	الحلة	BAB	268,834	373,063	455,700
Al-Hindiyah	الھندیة	KRB	...	69,504	84,100
Al-Iskandrīah	الاسكندریة	BAB	...	82,366	100,600
Al-Jibāyish	الجبایش	DHI	...	30,416	37,300
Al-Kaḥlā'	الكحلاء	MYS	...	18,202	22,400
Al-Khāliṣ	الخالص	DYL	...	51,003	62,500
Al-Khiḍr	الخضر	MTN	...	34,597	42,800
Al-Kifl	الكفل	BAB	...	18,700	22,800
Al-Kūfah	الكوفة	NJF	...	141,472	171,300
Al-Kūt [Kut]	الكوت	WST	183,183	312,610	389,400
Al-Madā'in	المدائن	BGD	...	23,206	28,200
Al-Madḥatiyah	المدحتية	BAB	...	48,672	59,500
Al-Maḥāwīl	المحاویل	BAB	...	25,499	31,200
Al-Maḥmūdiyah	المحمودیة	BGD	...	83,336	101,400
Al-Maīmūnah	المیمونة	MYS	...	16,172	19,900
Al-Majar al-Kabīr	المجر الكبير	MYS	...	76,365	93,900
Al-Manādhirah	المناذرة	NJF	...	26,198	31,700
Al-Mashrū'	المشروع	BAB	...	31,662	38,700
Al-Mawṣil [Mosul]	الموصل	NIN	664,221	1,136,990	1,361,800
Al-Midaīnah	المدینة	BSR	...	25,554	31,400
Al-Mishkhāb	المشخاب	NJF	...	25,319	30,700
Al-Muqdādiyah	المقدادیة	DYL	...	65,038	79,700
Al-Musayyib	المسیب	BAB	...	46,934	57,300
Al-Qaḥṭānyah	القحطانیة	NIN	...	47,385	56,800
Al-Qā'im	القائم	ANB	...	60,055	74,100
Al-Qaīrawān (Bulaīj)	القیروان / بليج	NIN	...	34,998	41,900
Al-Qāsim	القاسم	BAB	...	66,713	81,500
Al-Qurnah	القرنة	BSR	...	102,936	126,400
Altūn Kūbrī	التون كوبري	KRK	...	23,085	28,700
Al-Waḥdah	الوحدة	BGD	...	91,071	110,800
'Anah	عنھ	ANB	...	17,025	21,000
An-Najaf [Najaf]	النجف	NJF	309,010	617,125	747,300
An-Naṣir & As-Salām	النصر والسلام	BGD	...	52,245	63,600
An-Nāṣiriyah [Nasiriyah]	الناصرية	DHI	265,937	455,721	558,400
An-Naṣr	النصر	DHI	...	41,698	51,100
An-Nu'māniyah	النعمانیة	WST	...	56,988	71,000
Arbīl (Hawler‎; incl. Ainkāwah, Baḥarkah) [Erbil‎]	اربيل	ARB	485,968	725,356	879,000
Ar-Ramādī [Ramadi]	الرمادي	ANB	192,556	181,264	223,500
Ar-Rifā'ī	الرفاعي	DHI	...	60,885	74,600
Ar-Rumaytah	الرمیتة	MTN	...	69,528	86,100
Ar-Ruṭbah	الرطبة	ANB	...	23,042	28,400
Ash-Shamāl	الشمال	NIN	...	106,874	128,000
Ash-Shāmiyah	الشامیة	QAD	...	47,711	58,000
Ash-Sharqāṭ	الشرقاط	SLD	...	44,912	54,600
Ash-Shaṭrah	الشطرة	DHI	...	148,664	182,200
Ash-Shināqiyah	الشناقیة	QAD	...	17,245	21,000
As-Samāwah [Samawah]	السماوة	MTN	...	179,140	221,700
Aṣ-Ṣaynīah	الصینیة	SLD	...	26,661	32,400
As-Sulaymāniyah (Silêmanî) [Sulaymaniyah]	السليمانية	SLM	364,096	559,685	676,500
Aṣ-Ṣuwaīrah	الصویرة	WST	...	61,954	77,200
Aṭ-Ṭārmiyah	الطارمیة	BGD	...	29,222	35,600
'Az Aldīn Salīm (Al-Huwaīr)	عز الدین سلیم / الهوير	BSR	...	23,202	28,500
Az-Zubaīdiyah	الزبیدیة	WST	...	15,956	19,900
Az-Zubayr [Zubayr]	الزبیر	BSR	...	244,855	300,800
Baghdād [Baghdad]	بغداد	BGD	3,841,268	5,521,242	6,719,500	→
Baghdīdā (Al-Ḥamdāniyah)	بغديدا / الحمدانية	NIN	...	38,493	46,100
Baījī	بیجي	SLD	...	68,170	82,900
Bakrah Jū	بكرة جو	SLM	...	59,108	71,400
Balad	بلد	SLD	...	49,281	59,900
Baladrūz	بلدروز	DYL	...	52,122	63,900
Banī Sa'd	بني سعد	DYL	...	22,169	27,200
Banjwīn (Penjwen)	بنجوین	SLM	...	19,738	23,900
Ba'qūbah [Baqubah]	بعقوبة	DYL	...	227,785	279,100
Bardarash (Berdereş)	بردرش	DHK	...	22,010	26,800
Barṭallah	برطلة	NIN	...	17,966	21,500
Ba'shīqah	بعشیقة	NIN	...	28,072	33,600
Bāzyān	بازیان	SLM	...	31,270	37,800
Bīrah Makrūn	بیرة مكرون	SLM	...	23,013	27,800
Buhruz (Ashnūnā)	بھرز / أشنونا	DYL	...	29,787	36,500
Dahūk (Dihok) [Dohuk]	دهوك	DHK	...	280,137	340,900
Dāqūq	داقوق	KRK	...	18,319	22,800
Darbandikhān (Derbendîxan)	دربندخان	SLM	...	37,630	45,500
Dārhtūū	دارةتوو	ARB	...	44,308	53,700
Dhashty Hawlī'r (Benṣalāwah)	دةشتى ھةولیَر/ بنصلاوة	ARB	...	48,035	58,200
Dīrhlūk	دیَرةلوك	DHK	...	38,725	47,100
Fāīdah	فایدة	NIN	...	57,610	69,000
Ghammās	غماس	QAD	...	28,532	34,700
Ḥadīṭha	حدیثة	ANB	...	37,707	46,500
Ḥājī 'Āwā	حاجي ئاوا	SLM	...	44,440	53,700
Ḥalabjah (Hełebce)	حلبجة	HLB	...	55,588	67,200
Ḥalābjah Tāzah	حلبجة تازة	SLM	...	36,685	44,300
Ḥamām al-'Alīl	حمام العلیل	NIN	...	19,862	23,800
Harīr	ھریر	ARB	...	24,830	30,100
Hīt	ھیت	ANB	...	54,055	66,700
Jalawlā'	جلولاء	DYL	...	50,690	62,100
Jamjamāl (Çemçemall)	جمجمال	SLM	...	54,003	65,300
Jwār Qūrnah	جوار قورنة	SLM	...	37,483	45,300
Kalār (Kelar)	كلار	SLM	...	120,099	145,200
Kan'ān	كنعان	DYL	...	18,349	22,500
Karbalā' (incl. Al-Ḥur, Al-Ḥasaīniyah) [Karbala]	كربلاء	KRB	296,705	588,283	711,500
Khabāt	خبات	ARB	...	28,497	34,500
Khalīfān	خلیفان	ARB	...	18,146	22,000
Khānaqīn	خانقین	DYL	...	42,057	51,500
Khasnahzān	كةسنةزان	ARB	...	54,391	65,900
Kifrī (Kifrî)	كفري	SLM	...	28,626	34,600
Kirkūk [Kirkuk]	كركوك	KRK	418,624	782,143	972,300
Kuysanjaq (Koya)	كؤیسنجق	ARB	...	51,196	62,000
Qaladiza (Qeladizê)	قلدز	SLM	...	61,182	74,000
Qal'at Ṣāliḥ (Madhar)	قلعة صالح	MYS	...	30,980	38,100
Qal'at Sikar	قلعة سكر	DHI	...	43,551	53,400
Qasrūk (Qasrok)	قسروك	DHK	...	46,357	56,400
Rānyah (Ranye)	رانیة	SLM	...	76,111	92,000
Rizkārī	رزكاري	SLM	...	29,829	36,100
Rizkāry	رِزكارى	ARB	...	26,769	32,400
Saddat al-Hindiyah	سدة الھندیة	BAB	...	27,739	33,900
Safwān	سفوان	BSR	...	20,995	25,800
Saīd Ṣādiq	سید صادق	SLM	...	50,995	61,600
Ṣalāḥ Aldīn	صلاح الدین	ARB	...	31,578	38,300
Sāmarrā'	سامراء	SLD	...	119,022	144,800
Shaqlāwah (Şeqlawe)	شقلاوة	ARB	...	21,011	25,500
Shaṭṭ al-'Arab	شط العرب	BSR	...	108,277	133,000
Shūrash	شورش	SLM	...	42,703	51,600
Sinjār	سنجار	NIN	...	33,921	40,600
Sumaīl (Sêmêl) [Simele]	سمیل	DHK	...	58,808	71,600
Sūq ash-Shuyūkh	سوق الشیوخ	DHI	...	107,373	131,600
Sūrān / Diyānā	سؤران	ARB	...	100,512	121,800
Tāj Aldīn (Al-Ḥafriyah)	تاج الدین / الحفریة	WST	...	33,542	41,800
Ṭakiyah	تة كیة	SLM	...	22,953	27,700
Ṭalḥah (Aṣ-Ṣādiq)	طلحة / الصادق	BSR	...	37,147	45,600
Tall'afar	تلعفر	NIN	...	143,982	172,500
Tallkayf (Tel Keppe)	تلكیف	NIN	...	29,216	35,000
Tānjarū	تانجرو	SLM	...	17,524	21,200
Ṭaq Ṭaq	تةق تةق	ARB	...	16,886	20,500
Tikrīt	تكريت	SLD	...	89,584	109,000
Ṭūz Khūrmātū	طوز خورماتو	SLD	...	84,323	102,600
Umm Qaṣr	أم قصر	BSR	...	40,531	49,800
Zākhū (Zaxo)	زاخو	DHK	...	174,197	212,000

The urban population of subdistricts is reported. Thus, in some cases (e.g. Ash-Shamāl) the tabulated figures may refer to more than one settlement.
(1987) UN Demographic Yearbook 1993.
(2009) Central Organization for Statistics and Information Technology (web).
(2018) Computed by »City Population« by using the 2009 figures and the official estimation of the urban population of governorates. These figures do not consider the temporary occupation of parts of Iraq by Islamic militia. Thus, considerable deviations from the actual population are possible.