Iran vs Iraq
Iran vs Iraq: Population growth
Population growth in 2023: 1.12% a year in Iran and 2.15% a year in Iraq, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Iraq, by 1.03 percentage points, or 1.92 times that in Iran.
% a year · UN
What the numbers say
- Iraq has been higher since 2008, when it overtook Iran.
- In 2023, Iran ranked 101 and Iraq ranked 45 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (medium variant) puts Iran at -0.67% a year and Iraq at 0.17% a year in 2100.
- The world as a whole: 0.87% a year in 2023.
Every year
% a year · UN
| Year | Iran | Iraq | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1.12 | 2.15 | 0.87 |
| 2022 | 1.29 | 2.36 | 0.88 |
| 2021 | 1.11 | 2.23 | 0.8 |
| 2020 | 0.55 | 2.26 | 0.9 |
| 2019 | 0.99 | 2.18 | 1.03 |
| 2018 | 1.17 | 2.37 | 1.07 |
| 2017 | 1.38 | 2.29 | 1.13 |
| 2016 | 1.5 | 2.17 | 1.17 |
| 2015 | 1.37 | 2.62 | 1.18 |
| 2014 | 1.35 | 2.83 | 1.22 |
| 2013 | 1.33 | 4.25 | 1.23 |
| 2012 | 1.28 | 5.21 | 1.27 |
| 2011 | 1.22 | 3.83 | 1.26 |
| 2010 | 1.25 | 3.22 | 1.27 |
| 2009 | 1.25 | 3.25 | 1.28 |
| 2008 | 1.23 | 4.14 | 1.28 |
| 2007 | 1.2 | -0.14 | 1.28 |
| 2006 | 2.08 | -1.43 | 1.28 |
| 2005 | 2.23 | 2.91 | 1.27 |
| 2004 | 2.19 | 3.02 | 1.28 |
| 2003 | 2.08 | 2.68 | 1.29 |
| 2002 | 0.12 | 3.36 | 1.3 |
| 2001 | 1.54 | 2.95 | 1.33 |
| 2000 | 1.55 | 3.29 | 1.35 |
| 1999 | 1.4 | 3.27 | 1.35 |
| 1998 | 1.45 | 3.2 | 1.37 |
| 1997 | 1.3 | 3.08 | 1.39 |
| 1996 | 1.1 | 3.11 | 1.42 |
| 1995 | 1.06 | 3.28 | 1.45 |
| 1994 | 1.16 | 3.42 | 1.47 |
| 1993 | -0.78 | 6.19 | 1.52 |
| 1992 | 1.49 | 3.35 | 1.57 |
| 1991 | 2.47 | 2.56 | 1.63 |
| 1990 | 2.97 | -0.47 | 1.76 |
| 1989 | 2.86 | 2.97 | 1.78 |
| 1988 | 2.99 | 2.34 | 1.79 |
| 1987 | 3.48 | 2.3 | 1.84 |
| 1986 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 1.83 |
| 1985 | 3.68 | 1.71 | 1.8 |
| 1984 | 3.66 | 3.12 | 1.8 |
| 1983 | 3.86 | 3.12 | 1.78 |
| 1982 | 3.92 | 2.82 | 1.86 |
| 1981 | 6.74 | 2.81 | 1.82 |
| 1980 | 3.68 | 3.2 | 1.8 |
| 1979 | 3.57 | 3.1 | 1.79 |
| 1978 | 3.31 | 3.34 | 1.74 |
| 1977 | 3.23 | 3.39 | 1.75 |
| 1976 | 2.96 | 3.26 | 1.78 |
| 1975 | 3.07 | 3.29 | 1.8 |
| 1974 | 2.98 | 3.33 | 1.88 |
| 1973 | 2.94 | 3.44 | 1.94 |
| 1972 | 2.91 | 3.45 | 1.97 |
| 1971 | 2.94 | 3.42 | 1.97 |
| 1970 | 3.04 | 3.49 | 2.06 |
| 1969 | 3.04 | 3.46 | 2.06 |
| 1968 | 2.97 | 3.43 | 2.09 |
| 1967 | 3.02 | 3.43 | 2 |
| 1966 | 3.07 | 3.38 | 2.04 |
| 1965 | 3.16 | 3.4 | 2.09 |
| 1964 | 3.12 | 3.36 | 2.16 |
| 1963 | 3.11 | 3.36 | 2.28 |
| 1962 | 3.03 | 3.38 | 2.11 |
| 1961 | 3.04 | 2.61 | 1.67 |
| 1960 | 2.97 | 2.24 | 1.58 |
| 1959 | 2.92 | 2.13 | 1.73 |
| 1958 | 2.72 | 1.65 | 2 |
| 1957 | 2.68 | 1.59 | 2.07 |
| 1956 | 2.69 | 2.25 | 1.98 |
| 1955 | 2.62 | 2.14 | 2.01 |
| 1954 | 2.52 | 2.53 | 1.99 |
| 1953 | 2.46 | 2.52 | 1.9 |
| 1952 | 2.48 | 2.53 | 1.94 |
| 1951 | 2.46 | 2.22 | 1.75 |
| 1950 | 2.46 | 2.01 | 1.74 |
UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100
| Year | Iran | Iraq | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0.99-0.18–2.02 | 2.10.24–3.86 | 0.86 |
| 2025 | 0.86-0.4–2 | 2.10.21–4.02 | 0.84 |
| 2026 | 0.76-0.61–1.91 | 2.05-0–3.82 | 0.83 |
| 2027 | 0.67-0.6–1.82 | 1.990.05–3.82 | 0.81 |
| 2028 | 0.6-0.74–1.84 | 1.94-0–3.8 | 0.8 |
| 2029 | 0.55-0.74–1.77 | 1.95-0.01–3.88 | 0.78 |
| 2030 | 0.51-0.85–1.66 | 1.91-0.02–3.78 | 0.76 |
| 2031 | 0.49-0.84–1.72 | 1.89-0.18–3.75 | 0.75 |
| 2032 | 0.46-0.83–1.68 | 1.92-0.11–3.82 | 0.73 |
| 2033 | 0.44-0.87–1.64 | 1.87-0.22–3.67 | 0.72 |
| 2034 | 0.43-0.95–1.64 | 1.84-0.3–3.72 | 0.7 |
| 2035 | 0.41-0.9–1.69 | 1.78-0.33–3.65 | 0.69 |
| 2036 | 0.4-0.92–1.65 | 1.82-0.16–3.74 | 0.67 |
| 2037 | 0.38-1.01–1.7 | 1.73-0.28–3.51 | 0.65 |
| 2038 | 0.37-1–1.61 | 1.71-0.31–3.63 | 0.64 |
| 2039 | 0.35-0.98–1.64 | 1.73-0.31–3.63 | 0.62 |
| 2040 | 0.34-0.93–1.59 | 1.67-0.43–3.59 | 0.61 |
| 2041 | 0.32-0.96–1.61 | 1.6-0.52–3.6 | 0.59 |
| 2042 | 0.3-1.02–1.61 | 1.57-0.43–3.5 | 0.57 |
| 2043 | 0.28-1.05–1.54 | 1.51-0.61–3.43 | 0.56 |
| 2044 | 0.26-1.11–1.61 | 1.48-0.51–3.45 | 0.54 |
| 2045 | 0.24-1.16–1.5 | 1.42-0.61–3.29 | 0.52 |
| 2046 | 0.22-1.16–1.54 | 1.38-0.7–3.26 | 0.5 |
| 2047 | 0.19-1.3–1.48 | 1.39-0.82–3.33 | 0.48 |
| 2048 | 0.16-1.24–1.46 | 1.35-0.78–3.3 | 0.46 |
| 2049 | 0.13-1.26–1.38 | 1.34-0.76–3.42 | 0.44 |
| 2050 | 0.1-1.28–1.4 | 1.26-0.83–3.29 | 0.42 |
| 2051 | 0.06-1.37–1.44 | 1.25-0.77–3.31 | 0.4 |
| 2052 | 0.03-1.44–1.38 | 1.18-0.9–3.16 | 0.38 |
| 2053 | -0.01-1.43–1.33 | 1.2-0.9–3.18 | 0.36 |
| 2054 | -0.05-1.48–1.26 | 1.16-0.95–3.2 | 0.34 |
| 2055 | -0.09-1.43–1.23 | 1.13-0.96–3.09 | 0.33 |
| 2056 | -0.13-1.6–1.32 | 1.11-0.9–3.15 | 0.31 |
| 2057 | -0.16-1.59–1.24 | 1.07-1.09–3.13 | 0.3 |
| 2058 | -0.2-1.65–1.18 | 1.03-1.15–3.07 | 0.28 |
| 2059 | -0.24-1.71–1.12 | 1.01-1.04–2.97 | 0.27 |
| 2060 | -0.28-1.72–1.01 | 1.04-0.9–3.08 | 0.25 |
| 2061 | -0.31-1.8–1.08 | 0.98-1.14–3 | 0.24 |
| 2062 | -0.35-1.8–1.01 | 0.94-1.22–3.07 | 0.23 |
| 2063 | -0.38-1.8–1 | 0.96-1.3–3.05 | 0.22 |
| 2064 | -0.41-1.94–0.92 | 0.92-1.18–2.92 | 0.21 |
| 2065 | -0.44-1.9–0.87 | 0.89-1.23–3.01 | 0.2 |
| 2066 | -0.47-2.01–0.9 | 0.91-1.36–2.97 | 0.19 |
| 2067 | -0.49-2.1–0.91 | 0.81-1.36–2.89 | 0.18 |
| 2068 | -0.52-2.08–0.9 | 0.79-1.35–2.81 | 0.17 |
| 2069 | -0.54-2.08–0.89 | 0.78-1.27–2.9 | 0.16 |
| 2070 | -0.56-2.2–0.87 | 0.75-1.28–3.01 | 0.15 |
| 2071 | -0.58-2.23–0.8 | 0.73-1.39–2.91 | 0.14 |
| 2072 | -0.6-2.1–0.82 | 0.72-1.54–2.96 | 0.13 |
| 2073 | -0.61-2.3–0.73 | 0.72-1.55–2.73 | 0.12 |
| 2074 | -0.62-2.26–0.81 | 0.65-1.58–2.85 | 0.1 |
| 2075 | -0.64-2.22–0.88 | 0.58-1.59–2.71 | 0.09 |
| 2076 | -0.64-2.26–0.87 | 0.59-1.58–2.82 | 0.08 |
| 2077 | -0.65-2.26–0.8 | 0.55-1.62–2.59 | 0.07 |
| 2078 | -0.65-2.27–0.82 | 0.58-1.79–2.76 | 0.06 |
| 2079 | -0.66-2.34–0.88 | 0.58-1.71–2.78 | 0.05 |
| 2080 | -0.66-2.44–0.82 | 0.53-1.7–2.66 | 0.04 |
| 2081 | -0.65-2.39–0.78 | 0.53-1.8–2.66 | 0.03 |
| 2082 | -0.65-2.39–0.74 | 0.5-1.83–2.62 | 0.02 |
| 2083 | -0.65-2.35–0.82 | 0.48-1.9–2.62 | 0.01 |
| 2084 | -0.64-2.35–0.85 | 0.44-1.81–2.62 | -0 |
| 2085 | -0.64-2.24–0.82 | 0.47-1.89–2.63 | -0.01 |
| 2086 | -0.63-2.35–0.78 | 0.45-1.96–2.63 | -0.02 |
| 2087 | -0.63-2.43–0.91 | 0.38-1.91–2.5 | -0.03 |
| 2088 | -0.62-2.4–0.89 | 0.38-2.05–2.47 | -0.04 |
| 2089 | -0.62-2.54–0.94 | 0.38-1.8–2.52 | -0.05 |
| 2090 | -0.61-2.37–0.82 | 0.32-2.08–2.58 | -0.05 |
| 2091 | -0.61-2.35–0.98 | 0.33-2.09–2.42 | -0.06 |
| 2092 | -0.61-2.45–0.88 | 0.35-2.05–2.65 | -0.07 |
| 2093 | -0.62-2.51–0.82 | 0.32-2.26–2.37 | -0.07 |
| 2094 | -0.62-2.53–0.96 | 0.27-2.08–2.52 | -0.08 |
| 2095 | -0.63-2.47–0.93 | 0.26-2.25–2.5 | -0.09 |
| 2096 | -0.63-2.52–0.9 | 0.25-2.18–2.42 | -0.1 |
| 2097 | -0.64-2.52–0.91 | 0.23-2.13–2.41 | -0.11 |
| 2098 | -0.64-2.53–0.94 | 0.21-2.41–2.47 | -0.11 |
| 2099 | -0.66-2.59–0.84 | 0.21-2.35–2.5 | -0.12 |
| 2100 | -0.67-2.63–0.98 | 0.17-2.36–2.42 | -0.13 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How fast the population grew or shrank in a year: births minus deaths, plus people moving in minus people moving out.
- Source: UN DESA, World Population Prospects 2024.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (medium variant), a scenario rather than a forecast; the band is its 95% prediction interval.
- Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2023, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Iran vs Iraq
Health
- Life expectancyIran: 77.7 years in 2023Iraq: 72.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIran: 1.1 per 100 live births in 2024Iraq: 2.2 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIran: 9.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Iraq: 19 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterIran: 94.2% in 2022Iraq: 59.7% in 2022
- DepressionIran: 5.12% in 2017Iraq: 3.89% in 2017
- Suicide rateIran: 5.4 per 100,000 people in 2017Iraq: 4.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIran: 90.6 million people in 2023Iraq: 45.1 million people in 2023
- Fertility rateIran: 1.7 births per woman in 2023Iraq: 3.25 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIran: 77.4% in 2025Iraq: 69.9% in 2025
- Median ageIran: 32.9 years in 2023Iraq: 20.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIran: 7.9% in 2023Iraq: 3.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateIran: 2.9 per 1,000 people in 2023Iraq: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIran: 2.09% of GDP in 2025Iraq: 2.45% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIran: $7.45B in 2025Iraq: $6.4B in 2025
- Military spending per personIran: $80 in 2025Iraq: $139 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIran: 11.2% of government spending in 2025Iraq: 5.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIran: 650,000 people in 2020Iraq: 459,000 people in 2020
- National powerIran: 1.64% of world capability in 2022Iraq: 0.54% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIran: 2.35% of the labour force in 2020Iraq: 4.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIran: 42 million TIV in 2024Iraq: 55 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIran: 80 million TIV in 2025Iraq: 20 million TIV in 1989