Factbook dossier
Background
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 h…
Location
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait
Area
total : 438,317 sq km land: 437,367 sq km water: 950 sq km
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur
Natural hazards
dust storms; sandstorms; floods
Population
total: 42,917,742 (2025 est.) male: 21,614,894 female: 21,302,848
Ethnic groups
Arab 75-80%, Kurdish 15-20%, other 5% (includes Turkmen, Yezidi, Shabak, Kaka'i, Bedouin, Romani, Assyrian, Circassian, Sabaean-Mandaean, Persian) note: data is a 1987 government estimate; no more recent reliable numbers are available
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.
Religions
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: 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
Environmental issues
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
Government type
federal parliamentary republic
Capital
name: Baghdad geographic coordinates: 33 20 N, 44 24 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the origin of the name is unclear; it may mean "gift of God," from the pre-Islamic words bagh (god) and dad (given)
Executive branch
chief of state: President Latif RASHID (since 13 October 2022) head of government: Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-SUDANI (since 27 October 2022) cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, approved by Council of Representatives (COR) election/appointment process: president indirectly elected by COR to serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term) most recent election date: 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 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
Legislative branch
legislature name: Council of Representatives of Iraq legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 329 (all directly elected) electoral system: other systems scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 11/11/2025 parties elected and seats per party: 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) percentage of women in chamber: 28.9% expected date of next election: November 2029
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$585.887 billion (2024 est.) $595.082 billion (2023 est.) $592.017 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$12,700 (2024 est.) $13,200 (2023 est.) $13,400 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
4.4% (2023 est.) 5% (2022 est.) 6% (2021 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
China 33%, India 28%, USA 8%, Greece 5%, UAE 5% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
UAE 32%, China 20%, Turkey 18%, India 5%, USA 2% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
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) note 1: the Iraqi military and associated security forces are collectively known as the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF); the Iraqi Counterterrorism Service (CTS) includes the Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) note 2: the Iraqi Government funds the PMF, and it is mandated by law to act under government control but many of the militia units take orders from individual government officials and/or associated political parties; some militias have ties to Iran and some have been designated as terrorist organizations by the US (see Terrorism Reference) note 3: the federal constitution provides the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) the right to maintain its own military and security forces, known as the Kurdish Security Forces (KSF); some forces, such as the Regional Guard Brigades, are unified under the KRG's Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs, but the two main Kurdish political parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), also maintain their own military forces, police, emergency response, and internal security/intelligence services
Military expenditures
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.)