Iraq vs Saudi Arabia: Population in largest city
Iraq
8.14 million
in 2025
Saudi Arabia
7.95 million
in 2025
Iraq rank
28th
Saudi Arabia rank
29th
Population in largest city over time
- Iraq
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
Iraq currently reports 8.14 million against 7.95 million in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 188,260.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Iraq ahead.
Iraq ranks 28th and Saudi Arabia ranks 29th of 153 countries.
Iraq has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iraq | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.52 million | 231,830 | 1.28 million | Iraq |
| 1970s | 2.57 million | 679,820 | 1.89 million | Iraq |
| 1980s | 3.56 million | 1.54 million | 2.02 million | Iraq |
| 1990s | 4.56 million | 2.96 million | 1.60 million | Iraq |
| 2000s | 5.35 million | 4.24 million | 1.11 million | Iraq |
| 2010s | 6.29 million | 6.13 million | 158,775 | Iraq |
| 2020s | 7.63 million | 7.60 million | 23,250 | Iraq |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population in largest city, Iraq or Saudi Arabia?
- Iraq, at 8.14 million against 7.95 million in Saudi Arabia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population in largest city between Iraq and Saudi Arabia?
- 188,260, with Iraq ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iraq and Saudi Arabia?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Iraq and Saudi Arabia rank globally for population in largest city?
- Iraq ranks 28th and Saudi Arabia ranks 29th 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.