MigrantoIraqi Diaspora
2.3M Iraqis live abroad — 5% of the population of Iraq
Iraqi diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 41% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Turkey | 403670 |
| USA | 272370 |
| Germany | 263918 |
| Jordan | 219163 |
| Syria | 209390 |
| Sweden | 150470 |
| Australia | 112467 |
| United Kingdom | 99203 |
| Canada | 98416 |
| Israel | 77676 |
| Libya | 77265 |
| Iran | 55516 |
| Netherlands | 48412 |
| Norway | 26194 |
| Belgium | 24557 |
| Denmark | 21857 |
| Finland | 21546 |
| Egypt | 20517 |
| Greece | 17950 |
| Austria | 17372 |
| Switzerland | 12464 |
| Yemen | 10139 |
| Italy | 8547 |
| Algeria | 7711 |
| Saudi Arabia | 6510 |
| New Zealand | 5423 |
| Lebanon | 5101 |
| Morocco | 2006 |
| Bulgaria | 1910 |
| Hungary | 1728 |
| Cyprus | 1352 |
| Armenia | 1346 |
| Luxembourg | 1188 |
| Russia | 1169 |
| Romania | 1077 |
| Brazil | 967 |
| Tunisia | 709 |
| Poland | 675 |
| Malaysia | 674 |
| India | 656 |
| Indonesia | 536 |
| China | 482 |
| Malta | 428 |
| Iceland | 356 |
| Chile | 325 |
| Portugal | 289 |
| Slovakia | 234 |
| Pakistan | 233 |
| Mauritania | 131 |
| Slovenia | 128 |
| Serbia | 122 |
| Croatia | 71 |
| Venezuela | 70 |
| Estonia | 64 |
| Tajikistan | 60 |
| Lithuania | 58 |
| Latvia | 48 |
| Sri Lanka | 39 |
| Dominican Republic | 29 |
| Costa Rica | 22 |
| Liechtenstein | 11 |
| Bolivia | 11 |
| Sierra Leone | 0 |
By region
40% of the diaspora lives in the Middle East
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Key facts
The Iraqi diaspora in numbers
The community in Turkey is growing fastest
The number of Iraqis living in Turkey has grown 137% since 2015, from 170.3K to 403.7K.
The diaspora is spread more widely than in 1990
The largest country's share fell from 49% to 17%.
The share of the diaspora living in Asia has declined since 1990
49% of the diaspora lived in Asia in 1990, compared with 2.5% today.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
4 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Norway, Belgium, Finland. Norway climbed from outside the top 20 to #14.
1 in 20 people born in Iraq lives abroad
2.3M people born in Iraq now live in other countries — 5.0% of a population of 46M.
Iraqi diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 598492 |
| 1995 | 647345 |
| 2000 | 825369 |
| 2005 | 1202149 |
| 2010 | 2697913 |
| 2015 | 1652951 |
| 2020 | 2282773 |
| 2024 | 2313028 |
Largest communities over time
Iraqis living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | Turkey | USA | Germany | Jordan | Syria |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 29406 | 42041 | 26087 | 17842 | 3825 |
| 1995 | 21629 | 21249 | 32691 | 25979 | 3036 |
| 2000 | 11043 | 100564 | 70439 | 37955 | 1829 |
| 2005 | 25137 | 89459 | 89547 | 61156 | 337785 |
| 2010 | 44828 | 163127 | 92449 | 537499 | 1110642 |
| 2015 | 170324 | 210782 | 114598 | 176104 | 195204 |
| 2020 | 470584 | 244938 | 248322 | 215392 | 203003 |
| 2024 | 403670 | 272370 | 263918 | 219163 | 209390 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of Iraqis in each country has changed since the selected year
Iraqis among immigrants in other countries
Where Iraqis make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many Iraqis live outside Iraq?
Around 2.3M Iraqis live abroad, the world's #33 largest diaspora.
Where do most Iraqis abroad live?
Most Iraqis live in Turkey, USA and Germany — these three countries account for about 41% of all Iraqis living abroad.
Which country has the largest Iraqi population outside Iraq?
Turkey is home to the largest Iraqi community abroad — 403.7K people, about 17% of all Iraqis living abroad.
What share of the population of Iraq lives abroad?
About 5% of the population of Iraq lives abroad — that's 2.3M out of a total population of 46M.
Is the Iraqi diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Iraqis living abroad has grown from 1.7M to 2.3M, about 40%.
Where does the data on the Iraqi diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Iraq who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
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Living in Iraq
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