Demographics of Iraq.html



Distribution of Religious and Ethnic Groups in Iraq

Iraq is a country in the Middle East. The population was 26,783,383, with median age 20, in 2005. It is a very ethnically diverse country and consequently a linguistically diverse area.

Background

Iraq was created in the region known in the west as Mesopotamia after the first world war. The ruins of Ur, Babylon, and other ancient cities are situated in Iraq, as is the legendary location of the Garden of Eden. Almost 75% of Iraq's population lives in the flat, alluvial plain stretching southeast from Baghdad to Basra and the Persian Gulf. The Tigris River and the Euphrates River carry about 70 million cubic meters of silt annually from this plain down to the delta. The water from these two great rivers, and the fertility of the soil in the alluvial plain and the delta, allowed early agriculture to sustain a stable population as far back as the 4th millennium BC.

Further information: Geography of Iraq

Over its long history, many civilizations grew and flourished in the region. Following the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was formed by the League of Nations from three Ottoman vilayets (regions), gaining independence in 1932.

Further information: History of Iraq

Ethnic divisions

Iraq is home to several ethnic groups, the most numerous being Arabs, followed by Kurds, Iraqi Turkmen and Assyrians. Other distinct groups are Armenians, Persians, Shabaks and Lurs. Arabic is the most commonly spoken language. Kurdish and Syriac are spoken in the north, and English is the most commonly spoken Western language. ¹

Iraqis today are an overall indigenous Mesopotamian people, who are closely related to the indigenous ancient people, much like the case with the people of the Levant. While modern-day Iraqi Arabs form part of the Arab collective by virtue of their modern-day language and bonds to Arab culture and history — they are in fact largely a blend of the various Aramaic speaking groups indigenous to the region, as well as other groups like the Kurds and Turks, and not the direct descendants of the tribes of Arabia. However, during the Arab expansion period, Muslim Arabs from Arabia controlled the area and there was some amount of immigration.

Shia Islam is the predominant religion, followed by Sunni Islam and Christianity. Small communities of Bahá'ís, Mandaeans, and Yezidis also exist. Until 1948, there was also a 150,000 strong community of Jews, but the community has dwindled down to no more than a handful today. Most Kurds are Sunni Muslim, with about 10% being Shi'a Faili Kurds in central Iraq.

Kurds and Assyrians differ from their Arab neighbors in language, dress, and customs.

Demographic statistics from the CIA World Factbook

Iraq enjoys a young population.

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook.

Population

26,783,383 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 39.7% (male 5,398,645; female 5,231,760)

15-64 years: 57.3% (male 7,776,257; female 7,576,726)

65 years and over: 3% (male 376,700; female 423,295) (2006 est.)

Population growth rate

2.66% (2006 est.)

Birth rate

31.45 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate

5.37 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female

total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate

48.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 69.01 years

male: 67.76 years

female: 70.31 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.18 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Nationality

noun: Iraqi(s)

adjective: Iraqi

Ethnic groups

Arabs 75-80%, Kurds 15%-20%, Assyrian, Iraqi Turkmen or other 5%

Religions

Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian 3% down from 7% 50 years ago. According to Minority Rights Group Report (ISBN 1-904584-60-8, www.minorityrights.org), there were 2005 ca 20 Jews in Bagdad, most of them ca 70 years old.

Languages

Arabic, Kurdish,Turkish,Aramaic; Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, Chaldean Neo-Aramaic, and Armenian

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 74.1%

male: 84.1%

female: 64.2% (2000 est.)

Median Age

Total Population: 19.7 years

Male: 19.6 years

Female: 19.8 years (2006 est.)

See also

• Iraqi people
• Arab Tribes in Iraq
• Minority politics in Iraq
• Iraqi Turkmen
• Assyrian homeland
• History of the Jews in Iraq
• Iraqi diaspora
• Armenians in Iraq
• Palestinians in Iraq
• Refugees of Iraq

References

External links

• Kurdish Institute Kurdish language, history, books and latest news articles.
• Life in Iraq - People
• CIA World Fact Book
• UN press briefing on the demographics of Iraq
• Assimilation, Exodus, Eradication: Iraq’s minority communities since 2003, Report by Minority Rights Group International
• Linguist List partial inventory of languages and dialects of Iraq
• BBC page with population density map, and a religious breakdown map. October 23, 2006 article.

Bibliography

• Nakash, Yitzhak (2003). The Shi'is of Iraq, Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11575-3. 
• Jabar, Faleh A. (2004). The Shi'ite Movement in Iraq, Saqi Books. ISBN 0-86356-395-3.