Languages spoken in Iraq
Asia · Capital: Baghdad · Population 42.1 million
The official language of Iraq is Arabic. A further two languages hold official status at regional level: Central Kurdish and Azerbaijani. An estimated 68% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 28.6 million people. After Arabic, the most widely spoken are English at 35% and Central Kurdish at 12%. Arabic belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family. Arabic is also spoken in all six of its neighbours. In total, seven languages are recorded in Iraq, and their shares add up to 128.3% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.3 of them.
What languages are spoken in Iraq?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| ArabicAfro-Asiatic | 68% | Official | 28.6 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 35% | Spoken | 14.7 million |
| Central Kurdish | 12% | Official (regional) | 5.1 million |
| KurdishIndo-European | 10% | Spoken | 4.2 million |
| AzerbaijaniTurkic | 1.8% | Official (regional) | 757,501 |
| PersianIndo-European | 0.9% | Spoken | 366,126 |
| Northern Luri | 0.6% | Spoken | 256,709 |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Iraq?
The official language of Iraq is Arabic. A further two languages are official at regional or state level: Central Kurdish and Azerbaijani. Arabic is spoken by an estimated 68% of the population, or roughly 28.6 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak Arabic in Iraq?
An estimated 68% of Iraq's 42.1 million people speak Arabic, which works out at roughly 28.6 million speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Iraq
- Capital
- Baghdad
- Population
- 42.1 million
- Continent
- Asia
- Area
- 438,317 km²
- Currency
- IQD
- Languages recorded
- 7
- Land borders
- 6
- ISO codes
- IQ / IRQ / 368
Which countries border Iraq?
Iraq shares a land border with six countries: Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Türkiye. Arabic, the most widely spoken language in Iraq, is also spoken in Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and 2 others.
Explore more
Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.