Erbil Population 2026 — Iraq

Quick facts

GeoNames · UN WPP

Population

1,612,700

city proper · GeoNames

Rank in Iraq

#3 of 43

largest cities tracked

World rank

#278

of 5,279 cities ≥ 100k

Region

Erbil

first-level division

Status

Regional capital

Elevation

429 m

above sea level

Time zone

UTC+3

Asia/Baghdad

Coordinates

36.19°N 44.01°E

Share of country

3.3%

of 48.3M people

Erbil overview

Updated October 2026

Erbil (orange) and the other large cities of Iraq

Erbil lies in Iraq at 36.19°N, 44.01°E, about 429 m above sea level. The local time zone is Asia/Baghdad (UTC+3); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.

It is smaller than Mosul (1,683,000) and larger than Basrah (1,326,564). The largest city in Iraq is Baghdad with 7,216,000 people; the capital, Baghdad, has 7,216,000.

The national capital, Baghdad, is about 319 km away; the nearest large city is 'Ākra, 61 km from Erbil.

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 Erbil

Within 200 km · straight-line distance

City	Distance	Population
'Ākra Nineveh	61 km	105,370
Rānyah Sulaymaniyah	79 km	114,173
Mosul Nineveh	81 km	1,683,000
Kirkuk Kirkuk	87 km	1,031,000
Qeładizê Sulaymaniyah	101 km	140,688
Ash Sharqāt Salah ad Din	103 km	160,000
Sīnah Duhok	111 km	128,776
Dihok Duhok	118 km	340,900

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 Erbil?

Erbil has about 1,612,700 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.

Is Erbil the capital of Iraq?

No. The capital of Iraq is Baghdad (7,216,000 people), about 319 km away. Erbil is the 3rd largest city of the country and a regional capital.

How big is Erbil compared with the rest of Iraq?

Its 1,612,700 residents are 3.3% of the 48,295,919 people living in Iraq today. Baghdad is larger with 7,216,000 people.

Where is Erbil?

In Iraq, at latitude 36.19 and longitude 44.01, 429 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include 'Ākra (61 km), Rānyah (79 km), Mosul (81 km).

Explore more

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

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APA

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

HTML<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/iraq/erbil/">Erbil 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.