Baghdad Population 2026 — Iraq

Quick facts

GeoNames · UN WPP

Population

7,216,000

city proper · GeoNames

Rank in Iraq

#1 of 43

largest cities tracked

World rank

#45

of 5,279 cities ≥ 100k

Region

Baghdad

first-level division

Status

National capital

Elevation

41 m

above sea level

Time zone

UTC+3

Asia/Baghdad

Coordinates

33.34°N 44.4°E

Share of country

14.9%

of 48.3M people

Baghdad overview

Updated October 2026

Baghdad (orange) and the other large cities of Iraq

Baghdad lies in Iraq at 33.34°N, 44.4°E, about 41 m above sea level. The local time zone is Asia/Baghdad (UTC+3); GeoNames classifies it as a national capital.

It is the biggest urban centre of Iraq: the next largest cities are Mosul (1,683,000), Erbil (1,612,700), Basrah (1,326,564). Together, the three largest cities hold 21.8% of the national population.

The nearest large city is Baqubah, about 50 km away, followed by Nāḩiyat al Iskandarīyah (51 km).

Iraq as a whole has a live population of 48,295,919 (+2.1% a year) and ranks #34 of 238 countries — see the Iraq population page for the full statistics and the Iraq atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.

Cities near Baghdad

Within 200 km · straight-line distance

City	Distance	Population
Baqubah Diyala	50 km	152,550
Nāḩiyat al Iskandarīyah Babil	51 km	100,600
Al Fallūjah Anbar	57 km	190,159
Al-Musayab Babil	63 km	101,873
Al Miqdādīyah Diyala	87 km	155,968
Karbala Karbala	88 km	1,218,732
Abu Gharaq Babil	91 km	108,212
Al Hillah Babil	98 km	455,700

Largest cities in Iraq

Top 10 · all 43 →

#	City	Region	Population
1	BaghdadCapital	Baghdad	7,216,000
2	Mosul	Nineveh	1,683,000
3	Erbil	Erbil	1,612,700
4	Basrah	Basra	1,326,564
5	Karbala	Karbala	1,218,732
6	Kirkuk	Kirkuk	1,031,000
7	Sulaymaniyah	Sulaymaniyah	878,146
8	Nasiriyah	Dhi Qar	558,400
9	Najaf	Najaf	482,576
10	Al Hillah	Babil	455,700

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Baghdad?

Baghdad has about 7,216,000 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.

Is Baghdad the capital of Iraq?

Yes — Baghdad is the national capital of Iraq.

How big is Baghdad compared with the rest of Iraq?

Its 7,216,000 residents are 14.9% of the 48,295,919 people living in Iraq today. It is the largest city in the country.

Where is Baghdad?

In Iraq, at latitude 33.34 and longitude 44.4, 41 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Baqubah (50 km), Nāḩiyat al Iskandarīyah (51 km), Al Fallūjah (57 km).

Explore more

📊 Iraq population & statistics 🗺️ Iraq atlas 🏙️ All cities in Iraq 🌍 Largest cities in the world

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APA

Glostats. (2026). Baghdad Population 2026 — Iraq. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/iraq/baghdad/

HTML<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/iraq/baghdad/">Baghdad Population 2026 — Iraq</a> — Glostats

Figures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.

City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.