Mosul Population 2026 — Iraq

Quick facts

GeoNames · UN WPP

Population

1,683,000

city proper · GeoNames

Rank in Iraq

#2 of 43

largest cities tracked

World rank

#264

of 5,279 cities ≥ 100k

Region

Nineveh

first-level division

Status

Regional capital

Elevation

228 m

above sea level

Time zone

UTC+3

Asia/Baghdad

Coordinates

36.34°N 43.12°E

Share of country

3.5%

of 48.3M people

Mosul overview

Updated October 2026

Mosul (orange) and the other large cities of Iraq

Mosul lies in Nineveh in Iraq at 36.34°N, 43.12°E, about 228 m above sea level. The local time zone is Asia/Baghdad (UTC+3); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.

It is smaller than Baghdad (7,216,000) and larger than Erbil (1,612,700). 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 353 km away; the nearest large city is Sīnah, 53 km from Mosul.

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 Mosul

Within 200 km · straight-line distance

City	Distance	Population
Sīnah Duhok	53 km	128,776
Dihok Duhok	60 km	340,900
Simele Duhok	63 km	152,512
Sumayl Duhok	63 km	152,512
'Ākra Nineveh	81 km	105,370
Erbil Erbil	81 km	1,612,700
Ash Sharqāt Salah ad Din	91 km	160,000
Kirkuk Kirkuk	150 km	1,031,000

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 Mosul?

Mosul has about 1,683,000 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.

Is Mosul the capital of Iraq?

No. The capital of Iraq is Baghdad (7,216,000 people), about 353 km away. Mosul is the 2nd largest city of the country and a regional capital.

How big is Mosul compared with the rest of Iraq?

Its 1,683,000 residents are 3.5% of the 48,295,919 people living in Iraq today. Baghdad is larger with 7,216,000 people.

Where is Mosul?

In Nineveh, Iraq, at latitude 36.34 and longitude 43.12, 228 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Sīnah (53 km), Dihok (60 km), Simele (63 km).

Explore more

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

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APA

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

HTML<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/iraq/mosul/">Mosul 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.