Urban area over the long-term in Iraq
Iraq: Urban area over the long-term was 3,477 km² per grid cell in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
3,477 km² per grid cell
Change on year
up 2.6%
World rank
38th
of 202 countries
All-time high
3,477 km² per grid cell
in 2025
All-time low
8.77 km² per grid cell
in 1300
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Urban area over the long-term in Iraq, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in km² per grid cell.
Analysis
In 2025, urban area over the long-term in Iraq stood at 3,477 km² per grid cell. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.6% on the previous year and up 32.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban area over the long-term in Iraq peaked at 3,477 km² per grid cell in 2025 and was at its lowest, 8.77 km² per grid cell, in 1300.
That places Iraq 38th out of 202 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 14.89 km² per grid cell | 14.89 km² per grid cell | 14.89 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1100s | 13.8 km² per grid cell | 13.8 km² per grid cell | 13.8 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1200s | 11.45 km² per grid cell | 11.45 km² per grid cell | 11.45 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1300s | 8.77 km² per grid cell | 8.77 km² per grid cell | 8.77 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1400s | 9.22 km² per grid cell | 9.22 km² per grid cell | 9.22 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1500s | 9.66 km² per grid cell | 9.66 km² per grid cell | 9.66 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1600s | 12.63 km² per grid cell | 12.63 km² per grid cell | 12.63 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1700s | 10.55 km² per grid cell | 10.55 km² per grid cell | 10.55 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1710s | 11.89 km² per grid cell | 11.89 km² per grid cell | 11.89 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1720s | 13.02 km² per grid cell | 13.02 km² per grid cell | 13.02 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1730s | 14.27 km² per grid cell | 14.27 km² per grid cell | 14.27 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1740s | 15.63 km² per grid cell | 15.63 km² per grid cell | 15.63 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1750s | 17.12 km² per grid cell | 17.12 km² per grid cell | 17.12 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1760s | 18.75 km² per grid cell | 18.75 km² per grid cell | 18.75 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1770s | 20.54 km² per grid cell | 20.54 km² per grid cell | 20.54 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1780s | 22.5 km² per grid cell | 22.5 km² per grid cell | 22.5 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1790s | 24.65 km² per grid cell | 24.65 km² per grid cell | 24.65 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1800s | 27 km² per grid cell | 27 km² per grid cell | 27 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1810s | 31.13 km² per grid cell | 31.13 km² per grid cell | 31.13 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1820s | 35.89 km² per grid cell | 35.89 km² per grid cell | 35.89 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1830s | 41.37 km² per grid cell | 41.37 km² per grid cell | 41.37 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1840s | 47.69 km² per grid cell | 47.69 km² per grid cell | 47.69 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1850s | 54.92 km² per grid cell | 54.92 km² per grid cell | 54.92 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1860s | 63.08 km² per grid cell | 63.08 km² per grid cell | 63.08 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1870s | 77.94 km² per grid cell | 77.94 km² per grid cell | 77.94 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1880s | 94.08 km² per grid cell | 94.08 km² per grid cell | 94.08 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1890s | 108.27 km² per grid cell | 108.27 km² per grid cell | 108.27 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1900s | 116.14 km² per grid cell | 116.14 km² per grid cell | 116.14 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1910s | 116.5 km² per grid cell | 116.5 km² per grid cell | 116.5 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1920s | 116.5 km² per grid cell | 116.5 km² per grid cell | 116.5 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1930s | 116.5 km² per grid cell | 116.5 km² per grid cell | 116.5 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1940s | 136.41 km² per grid cell | 136.41 km² per grid cell | 136.41 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1950s | 223.03 km² per grid cell | 181.1 km² per grid cell | 274.26 km² per grid cell | 10 |
| 1960s | 392.61 km² per grid cell | 292.12 km² per grid cell | 505.37 km² per grid cell | 10 |
| 1970s | 687.88 km² per grid cell | 534.61 km² per grid cell | 853.77 km² per grid cell | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,078 km² per grid cell | 892.77 km² per grid cell | 1,253 km² per grid cell | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,499 km² per grid cell | 1,288 km² per grid cell | 1,743 km² per grid cell | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,962 km² per grid cell | 1,732 km² per grid cell | 2,215 km² per grid cell | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,584 km² per grid cell | 2,276 km² per grid cell | 2,898 km² per grid cell | 10 |
| 2020s | 3,222 km² per grid cell | 2,970 km² per grid cell | 3,477 km² per grid cell | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
- 35 Netherlands 4,359 km² per grid cell compare
- 36 Vietnam 4,339 km² per grid cell compare
- 37 Uzbekistan 4,208 km² per grid cell compare
- 39 Kazakhstan 3,421 km² per grid cell compare
- 40 Yemen 3,250 km² per grid cell compare
- 41 Tanzania 3,054 km² per grid cell compare
More reference data data for Iraq
- Spring temperature anomalies -1.96 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.4693 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.0842 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies -0.077 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.27 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 143.6 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban area over the long-term in Iraq?
- Urban area over the long-term in Iraq was 3,477 km² per grid cell in 2025, according to HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest urban area over the long-term recorded in Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 3,477 km² per grid cell in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban area over the long-term recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.77 km² per grid cell in 1300.
- How does Iraq rank for urban area over the long-term?
- Iraq ranks 38th out of 202 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban area over the long-term rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is up 32.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iraq data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Urban area over the long-term. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total built-up area of a country over time.