Map of Iraq | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background:


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Location: Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait

Geographic coordinates: 33 00 N, 44 00 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 438,317 km²
Land: 437,367 km²
Water: 950 km²
Comparative: slightly more than three times the size of New York state
Country comparison total: 3,809 km
Country comparison border countries: (6) Iran 1,599 km; Jordan 179 km; Kuwait 254 km; Saudi Arabia 811 km; Syria 599 km; Turkey 367 km

Land boundaries
Total: 3,809 km
Border countries: (6) Iran 1,599 km; Jordan 179 km; Kuwait 254 km; Saudi Arabia 811 km; Syria 599 km; Turkey 367 km

Coastline: 58 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Continental shelf: not specified

Climate: mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in central and southern Iraq

Terrain: mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey

Elevation
Highest point: Cheekha Dar (Kurdish for 'Black Tent') 3,611 m
Lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
Mean elevation: 312 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur

Land use
Agricultural land: 18.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 8.4% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 0.5% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 9.2% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land forest: 1.9% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land other: 80% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 35,250 km² (2012)

Major rivers
By length in km: Euphrates river mouth (shared with Turkey[s], Syria, and Iran) - 3,596 km; Tigris river mouth (shared with Turkey[s], Syria, and Iran) - 1,950 km; the Tigris and Euphrates join to form the Shatt al Arab
By length in km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds area km²: Indian Ocean drainage: (Persian Gulf) Tigris and Euphrates (918,044 km²)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 6.9 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 5.49 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 44.23 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 89.86 billion m³ (2020 est.)

Natural hazards: dust storms; sandstorms; floods

Geography
Note: strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf


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Population
Distribution: population is concentrated in the north, center, and eastern parts of the country, with many of the larger urban agglomerations found along extensive parts of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; much of the western and southern areas are either lightly populated or uninhabited
Total: 42,083,436
Male: 21,193,356
Female: 20,890,080 (2024 est.)
Growth rate: 1.99% (2024 est.)
Below poverty line: 23% (2014 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Iraqi(s)
Adjective: Iraqi

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 samples: دليل جيوس العالمي، المصدر الذي لا غنى عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic); ڕاستییەکانی جیهان، باشترین سەرچاوەیە بۆ زانیارییە بنەڕەتییەکان (Kurdish); Gheos World Guide, 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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 34.6% (male 7,447,266/female 7,130,883)
15-64 years: 61.7% (male 13,064,516/female 12,907,702)
65 years and over: 3.6% (2024 est.) (male 681,574/female 851,495)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 71
Youth dependency ratio: 65.2
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.8
Potential support ratio: 17.1 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 22.4 years (2024 est.)
Male: 22 years
Female: 22.7 years

Population growth rate: 1.99% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 23.7 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 3.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: population is concentrated in the north, center, and eastern parts of the country, with many of the larger urban agglomerations found along extensive parts of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; much of the western and southern areas are either lightly populated or uninhabited

Urbanization
Urban population: 71.6% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.91% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 7.711 million BAGHDAD (capital), 1.792 million Mosul, 1.448 million Basra, 1.075 million Kirkuk, 958,000 Najaf, 897,000 Erbil (2023)

Environment
Current issues: government water control projects drained most of the inhabited marsh areas east of An Nasiriyah by drying up or diverting the feeder streams and rivers; a once sizable population of Marsh Arabs, who inhabited these areas for thousands of years, has been displaced; furthermore, the destruction of the natural habitat poses serious threats to the area's wildlife populations; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil degradation (salination) and erosion; desertification; military and industrial infrastructure has released heavy metals and other hazardous substances into the air, soil, and groundwater; major sources of environmental damage are effluents from oil refineries, factory and sewage discharges into rivers, fertilizer and chemical contamination of the soil, and industrial air pollution in urban areas
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Environmental Modification

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 39.29 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 190.06 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 17.44 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio: 76 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 18.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 20.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 17 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.7 years (2024 est.)
Male: 71.9 years
Female: 75.7 years

Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 52.8% (2018)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 100% of population
Unimproved rural: 2.6% of population
Unimproved total: 0.7% of population (2020 est.)
Unimproved urban: 0% of population

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density: 1.3 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 100% of population
Improved rural: 100% of population
Improved total: 100% of population
Unimproved urban: 0% of population
Unimproved rural: 0% of population
Unimproved total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 30.4% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 0.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 18.5% (2020 est.)
Male: 35.1% (2020 est.)
Female: 1.8% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 3.9% (2018)

Education expenditures: 4.7% of GDP (2016)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 85.6%
Male: 91.2%
Female: 79.9% (2017)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 32.2% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 27.8% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 62% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Iraq
Conventional short form: Iraq
Local long form: Jumhuriyat al-Iraq/Komar-i Eraq
Local short form: Al Iraq/Eraq
Former: Mesopotamia, Mandatory Iraq, Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq
Etymology: the name probably derives from 'Uruk' (Biblical 'Erech'), the ancient Sumerian and Babylonian city on the Euphrates River

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: although the origin of the name is disputed, it likely has compound Persian roots with bagh and dad meaning 'god' and 'given' respectively to create the meaning of 'bestowed by God'

Administrative divisions: 18 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah (Arabic); parezgakan, singular - parezga (Kurdish)); 'Al Anbar; Al Basrah; Al Muthanna; Al Qadisiyah (Ad Diwaniyah); An Najaf; Arbil (Erbil) (Arabic), Hewler (Kurdish); As Sulaymaniyah (Arabic), Slemani (Kurdish); Babil; Baghdad; Dahuk (Arabic), Dihok (Kurdish); Dhi Qar; Diyala; Karbala'; Kirkuk; Maysan; Ninawa; Salah ad Din; Wasit
Note: Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government administers Arbil, Dahuk, and As Sulaymaniyah (as Hewler, Dihok, and Slemani respectively)

Dependent areas

Independence: 3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
Note: on 28 June 2004 the Coalition Provisional Authority transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government

National holiday: Independence Day, 3 October (1932); Republic Day, 14 July (1958)

Constitution
History: several previous; latest adopted by referendum 15 October 2005
Amendments: proposed by the president of the republic and the Council of Minsters collectively, or by one fifth of the Council of Representatives members; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Council of Representatives, approval by referendum, and ratification by the president; passage of amendments to articles on citizen rights and liberties requires two-thirds majority vote of Council of Representatives members after two successive electoral terms, approval in a referendum, and ratification by the president

Legal system: mixed legal system of civil and Islamic law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Iraq
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

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)
Elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by COR to serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); COR parliamentary election for president last held on 13 October 2022 (next to be held NA)
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
Description: unicameral Council of Representatives of Iraq (COR) or Majlis an-Nuwwab al-Iraqiyy (329 seats; 320 members directly elected in 83 multi-seat constituencies by single nontransferable vote, 9 seats elected by religious minorities - 5 by Christians, 1 each by Sabaean-Mandaeans, Yazidis, Shabaks andFayli Kurds, and 25% of seats allocated to women; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held on 10 October 2021 (next to be held in 2025)
Elections results: percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - Taqadum 47, State of Law Coalition 43, Al Fatah Alliance 37, Kurdistan Democratic Party 31, Kurdistan Coalition 18, Azm Alliance 16, Imtidad 16, State Forces Alliance 11, Ishraqat Kanun 10, New Generation Movement 9, National Contract Party 8, Tasmim Alliance 7, Babiliyun Movement 3, other 73; composition - men 234, women 95, percentage women 29.2%
Note: seat counts reflect updated numbers following the 12 June 2022 Sadrist Trend withdrawal from government formation; its 73 seats were reallocated to other parties

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Federal Supreme Court or FSC (consists of 9 judges)
Note: court jurisdiction limited to constitutional issues, application of federal laws, ratification of election results for the COR, judicial competency disputes, and disputes between regions or governorates and the central government; Court of Cassation (consists of a court president, 5 vice presidents, and at least 24 judges)
Judge selection and term of office: Federal Supreme Court (FSC) judges nominated by the High Judicial Council (HJC) president, the FSC chief justice, the public prosecutor's office chief, and the head of the Judicial Oversight Commission; FSC members required to retire at age 72; Court of Cassation judges appointed by the HJC and confirmed by the Council of Representatives to serve until retirement, nominally at age 63, but can be extended to age 66 by the HJC
Subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal (governorate level); civil courts, including first instance, personal status, labor, and customs; criminal courts including felony, misdemeanor, investigative, major crimes, juvenile, and traffic courts

Political parties and leaders: Al Fatah Alliance, Azm Alliance, Babiliyun Movement, Imtidad, Ishraqat Konun, Kurdistan Democratic Party, National Contract Party, New Generation Movement, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Sadrist Bloc, State Forces Alliance, State of Law Coalition, Taqadum, Tasmim Alliance

International organization participation: ABEDA, AFESD, AIIB, AMF, CAEU, CICA, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation
In the us: chief of mission: Ambassador Nazar Issa Abdulhadi AL-KHIRULLAH (since 30 June 2023)
In the us chancery: 1801 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 483-7,500
In the us fax: [1] (202) 462-8,815
In the us email address and website: washington@scrdiraq.gov.iq; [link]
In the us consulates general: Detroit, Los Angeles
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Alina L. ROMANOWSKI (since 2 June 2022)
From the us embassy: Al-Kindi Street, International Zone, Baghdad
From the us note: consulate in Al Basrah closed as of 28 September 2018
From the us mailing address: 6,060 Baghdad Place, Washington DC 20,521-6,060
From the us telephone: 0760-030-3,000
From the us email address and website: BaghdadACS@state.gov; [link]

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the Takbir (Arabic expression meaning 'God is great') in green Arabic script is centered in the white band; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white); the Council of Representatives approved this flag in 2008 as a compromise replacement for the Ba'thist SADDAM-era flag
Note: similar to the flag of Syria, which has two stars but no script; Yemen, which has a plain white band; and that of Egypt, which has a golden Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band

National symbols: golden eagle; national colors: red, white, black

National anthem
Name: 'Mawtini' (My Homeland)
Lyrics/music: Ibrahim TOUQAN/Mohammad FLAYFEL
Note: adopted 2004; following the ouster of SADDAM Husayn, Iraq adopted 'Mawtini,' a popular folk song throughout the Arab world; also serves as an unofficial anthem of the Palestinian people

National heritage
Total world heritage sites: 6 (5 cultural, 1 mixed)
Selected world heritage site locales:


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Economy overview: highly oil-dependent Middle Eastern economy; fiscal sustainability subject to fluctuation in oil prices; rising public confidence in economic conditions; import-dependent for most sectors; persistent challenges of corruption, informal markets, banking access, and political fragility

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $572.939 billion (2023 est.); $590.267 billion (2022 est.); $548.372 billion (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars

Real gdp growth rate: -2.94% (2023 est.); 7.64% (2022 est.); 1.5% (2021 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: $12,600 (2023 est.); $13,300 (2022 est.); $12,600 (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 40.3% (2021 est.)
Government consumption: 17.7% (2021 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 10.1% (2021 est.)
Investment in inventories: 11.3% (2021 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 37.3% (2021 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -24.2% (2021 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2.8% (2023 est.)
Industry: 55.6% (2023 est.)
Services: 42.3% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Agriculture products: wheat, dates, tomatoes, maize, watermelons, grapes, potatoes, milk, cucumbers/gherkins, eggplants (2022)
Note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Industries: petroleum, chemicals, textiles, leather, construction materials, food processing, fertilizer, metal fabrication/processing

Industrial production growth rate: -6.34% (2023 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 11.812 million (2023 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 15.53% (2023 est.); 15.59% (2022 est.); 16.17% (2021 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 32.2% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 27.8% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 62% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Population below poverty line: 23% (2014 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $90.204 billion (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $64.512 billion (2019 est.)
Note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 1.34% (of GDP) (2019 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Public debt: 27.44% of GDP (2018 est.)
Note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Revenue
From forest resources: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.99% (2022 est.); 6.04% (2021 est.); 0.57% (2020 est.)
Note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance: $58.01 billion (2022 est.); $24.565 billion (2021 est.); -$6.306 billion (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Exports: $127.079 billion (2022 est.); $78.261 billion (2021 est.); $50.666 billion (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: India 32%, China 28%, US 8%, South Korea 7%, Greece 5% (2022)
Partners note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Commodities: crude petroleum, refined petroleum, gold, petroleum coke, natural gas (2022)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $69.162 billion (2022 est.); $50.707 billion (2021 est.); $54.865 billion (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: UAE 32%, China 21%, Turkey 20%, India 4%, South Korea 2% (2022)
Partners note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Commodities: refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, cars, jewelry, garments (2022)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $112.233 billion (2023 est.); $97.009 billion (2022 est.); $64.231 billion (2021 est.)
Note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Debt external: $15.065 billion (2022 est.)
Note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 31.339 million kW (2022 est.)
Consumption: 65.908 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Imports: 3.534 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 71.17 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 98% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Coal
Imports: 3,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 4.437 million bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 918,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 145.019 billion barrels (2021 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 9.86 billion m³ (2022 est.)
Consumption: 19.298 billion m³ (2022 est.)
Imports: 9.438 billion m³ (2022 est.)
Proven reserves: 3.729 trillion m³ (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 156.892 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 6,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 119.027 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 37.858 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 57.702 million Btu/person (2022 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 2.392 million (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 43.688 million (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 98 (2022 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 3% of GDP (2023 est.); 2.1% of GDP (2022 est.); 3.7% of GDP (2021 est.); 4.1% of GDP (2020 est.); 3.8% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military and security forces: Ministry of Defense: Iraqi Army, Army Aviation Command, Iraqi Navy, Iraqi Air Force, Iraqi Air Defense Command, Special Forces Command, Special Security Division; National-Level Security Forces: Iraqi Counterterrorism Service (CTS; reports to the Prime Minister), Prime Minister's Special Forces (Security) Division, Presidential Brigades; 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; Popular Mobilization Committee (PMC): Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Tribal Mobilization Forces (TMF); the PMF and TMF are a collection of more than 50 militias of widely varied sizes and political interests; the federal constitution provides the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) the right to maintain its own military/militia (peshmerga) and security forces, but the two main Kurdish political parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), each maintain their own forces and participate in the staffing of the joint KDP-PUK Regional Guard Brigades: KRG Ministry of Peshmerga: Unit (or Division) 70 Forces and Counter Terrorism Group (CTG) of the PUK; Unit (or Division) 80 Forces and Counterterrorism Directorate (CTD) of the KDP; Regional Guard Brigades; KRG Ministry of Interior: both the KDP and PUK maintain separate police, emergency response, and internal security/intelligence (Asayish) services under nominal Ministry of Interior control (2024)
Note: the Iraqi military and associated forces are collectively known as the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF)

Military service age and obligation: 18-40 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2023)
Note: service in the armed forces was mandatory in Iraq from 1935 up until 2003; in 2021, the Iraqi cabinet approved a draft law to reinstate compulsory military service and referred the proposed law to the Iraqi parliament; as of 2023, the proposed law had been shelved

Space program

Terrorist groups: Ansar al-Islam; Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Jaysh Rijal al-Tariq al-Naqshabandi; Kata'ib Hizballah; Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)
Note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 4 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 34
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,075,065 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 16.2 million (2018) mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: YI

Airports: 71 (2024)

Heliports: 10 (2024)

Pipelines: 2,455 km gas, 913 km liquid petroleum gas, 5,432 km oil, 1,637 km refined products (2013)

Railways

Roadways
Total: 58,592 km (2021)

Waterways: 5,279 km (2012) (the Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,899 km), and Third River (565 km) are the principal waterways)

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 7,864 (West Bank and Gaza Strip) (mid-year 2022); 273,258 (Syria), 8,575 (Iran), 8,091 (Turkey) (2023)
Idps: 1.142 million (displacement in central and northern Iraq since January 2014) (2023)
Stateless persons: 47,253 (2022)
Note: in the 1970s and 1980s under SADDAM Husayn's regime, thousands of Iraq's Faili Kurds, followers of Shia Islam, were stripped of their Iraqi citizenship, had their property seized by the government, and many were deported; some Faili Kurds had their citizenship reinstated under the 2006 Iraqi Nationality Law, but others lack the documentation to prove their Iraqi origins; some Palestinian refugees persecuted by the SADDAM regime remain stateless

Illicit drugs