Iran vs Iraq: Population in largest city
Iran
9.73 million
in 2025
Iraq
8.14 million
in 2025
Iran rank
25th
Iraq rank
28th
Population in largest city over time
- Iran
- Iraq
How they compare
Iran currently reports 9.73 million against 8.14 million in Iraq, a difference of 1.59 million.
That makes Iran's figure about 1.2 times Iraq's.
Across all 66 years both countries report, Iran has been ahead every year.
Iran ranks 25th and Iraq ranks 28th of 153 countries.
Iran has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | Iraq | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.46 million | 1.52 million | 947,737 | Iran |
| 1970s | 4.15 million | 2.57 million | 1.58 million | Iran |
| 1980s | 5.73 million | 3.56 million | 2.16 million | Iran |
| 1990s | 6.68 million | 4.56 million | 2.12 million | Iran |
| 2000s | 7.58 million | 5.35 million | 2.24 million | Iran |
| 2010s | 8.51 million | 6.29 million | 2.22 million | Iran |
| 2020s | 9.44 million | 7.63 million | 1.81 million | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population in largest city, Iran or Iraq?
- Iran, at 9.73 million against 8.14 million in Iraq as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population in largest city between Iran and Iraq?
- 1.59 million, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and Iraq?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Iran and Iraq rank globally for population in largest city?
- Iran ranks 25th and Iraq ranks 28th of 153 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as Population in largest city. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Population in largest city is the urban population living in the country's largest metropolitan area.