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Baghdad

#51 largest metro areaAsia

In Iraq

Metro population
7,511,000
0.090% of world population
Archive estimate
Annual growth
+2.15%
About 442 people a day
Archive estimate
Density
11,161/km²
673 km² metro area
City proper
7,216,000
Within the administrative boundary
GeoNames

About Baghdad

With a metropolitan population of 7,511,000, Baghdad ranks among Asia's largest cities. The city proper holds 7,216,000 residents at a density of 11,161 people per km², supporting an annual growth rate of 2.2%. Founded in 762, Baghdad sits at 41 meters elevation in Iraq.

Baghdad International Airport and New Al Muthana Air Base (BGW) serve the city's air transport needs. Ammar Moussa Kadhum leads the municipality.

This summary is AI-generated from the statistics on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.

Key Facts

Country
Iraq
Continent
Asia
World rank
#51 of 140
Share of country
16.0%
Founded
762
Leadership
Ammar Moussa Kadhum
Elevation
41 m
Coordinates
33.341, 44.401

Airports

Scheduled-service airports within 100 km, nearest first.

  • Baghdad International Airport / New Al Muthana Air BaseBGW

    18 km from the city centre

Source: OurAirports, matched by distance.

Compared with the World's Largest Cities

Metropolitan population against the fifteen largest metro areas.

  1. Tokyo37.4M
  2. Delhi32.9M
  3. Shanghai29.2M
  4. São Paulo22.6M
  5. Dhaka22.5M
  6. Mexico City22.3M
  7. Cairo22.2M
  8. Mumbai21.7M
  9. Beijing21.5M
  10. Osaka19M
  11. New York18.9M
  12. Karachi17.1M
  13. Kinshasa17.1M
  14. Chongqing16.9M
  15. Lagos15.9M
  16. Baghdad7.51M
Metro populations are archive estimates; boundaries differ between national statistical agencies.
Baghdad compared with the fifteen largest metropolitan areas
NameMetro population
Tokyo37.4M
Delhi32.9M
Shanghai29.2M
São Paulo22.6M
Dhaka22.5M
Mexico City22.3M
Cairo22.2M
Mumbai21.7M
Beijing21.5M
Osaka19M
New York18.9M
Karachi17.1M
Kinshasa17.1M
Chongqing16.9M
Lagos15.9M
Baghdad7.51M

Population Trend in Iraq

No free source publishes metropolitan population back to 1950, so the parent country's series is shown instead.

020M40M60M80M100M1950197520002025205020752100projected →
This is Iraq's national population, not Baghdad's. The legacy city series this page previously carried was generated by scaling the current figure, so it has been dropped rather than presented as history. Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Iraq population, 1950 to 2100
YearPopulation
19505,653,350
19607,022,052
19709,735,611
198013,591,992
199017,581,206
200024,424,056
201031,045,366
202042,116,605
203051,937,208
204062,223,211
205071,928,750
206080,520,191
207087,995,949
208093,761,929
209098,003,974
2100100,649,056

Nearest Major Cities

Closest cities in our dataset by great-circle distance.

Baghdad Population FAQ

What is the population of Baghdad?

Baghdad's metropolitan area has about 7,511,000 people, making it the 51st largest metro area in our dataset of 140 major cities.

What is the difference between Baghdad's city and metro population?

About 7,216,000 people live within the city proper, while the wider metropolitan area holds roughly 7,511,000. Metro figures include surrounding commuter areas that fall outside the city's administrative boundary.

Is Baghdad growing or shrinking?

Baghdad is growing at +2.15% a year.

What share of Iraq's population lives in Baghdad?

Baghdad's metro area holds about 16.0% of Iraq's total population.

How densely populated is Baghdad?

Baghdad has roughly 11,161 people per km² across a metro area of about 673 km².

Which airports serve Baghdad?

The nearest major airports are Baghdad International Airport / New Al Muthana Air Base (BGW).

Which country is Baghdad in?

Baghdad is in Iraq, in Asia.

Explore More Cities

All 140 cities →Iraq country profile →