📜 A long story
Iraq, 1800 → today
Iraq grew from 1 million in 1800 to 45.1 million; a newborn can expect 34.9 more years of life than in 1950, and output per person is 15× its 1820 level, adjusted for inflation.
Told with long-run reconstructions, not the yearly series used elsewhere on the site: each chapter names its source. Scroll to move through the years.
☺ Chapter 1 · Population
How many people live there?
1800
In 1800, about 1 million people lived in Iraq.
1900
2.4 million people.
2.4× the 1800 level
Reached twice the 1800 level in 1894.
1950
5.65 million people.
2.4× the 1900 level
Reached 5 times the 1800 level in 1947.
2023
45.1 million people, the latest year in this series.
8× the 1950 level
Reached 10 times the 1800 level in 1971.
Reached 20 times the 1800 level in 1994.
Long-run series: before 1950, reconstructions by HYDE and Gapminder, filled in between benchmark years by those sources. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
✚ Chapter 2 · Life expectancy
How long do people live?
1950
In 1950, a newborn in Iraq could expect to live 37.4 years, on average.
2023
72.3 years, the latest year in this series.
+35 years since 1950
Passed 40 years in 1952.
Passed 50 years in 1960.
Passed 60 years in 1970.
Passed 70 years in 2015.
Long-run series: before 1950, historical estimates (Riley, Clio Infra, Human Mortality Database), only for years they cover.
◎ Chapter 3 · GDP per person (PPP)
How much is produced per person?
1820
In 1820, Iraq produced about Int$877 per person, in 2011 prices.
1950
Int$2,170.
2.5× the 1820 level
Reached twice the 1820 level in 1950 (no data between 1913 and 1950, so it may have happened earlier).
2022
Int$13,100, the latest year in this series.
6× the 1950 level
Reached 5 times the 1820 level in 1961.
Reached 10 times the 1820 level in 1978.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 78% between 1983 and 1991 (Int$6,810 → Int$1,520).
Long-run series (Maddison Project) in 2011 international dollars: adjusted for inflation, so not the same unit as today’s PPP figure. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates. Dashed stretches are years without data.
❦ Chapter 4 · CO₂ per person
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
1927
In 1927, fossil fuels and industry in Iraq emitted about 0.037 t of CO₂ per person.
1950
0.3 t.
8× the 1927 level
Reached twice the 1927 level in 1928.
Reached 5 times the 1927 level, reached 10 times the 1927 level in 1934.
Reached 20 times the 1927 level in 1935.
Reached 50 times the 1927 level in 1939.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 93% between 1945 and 1949 (2.9 t → 0.2 t).
2024
5.1 t, the latest year in this series.
17× the 1950 level
Long-run series: fossil CO₂ emitted within each country’s borders (Global Carbon Budget); early estimates are less certain. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
☕ Chapter 5 · Years of schooling
How long do people go to school?
1870
In 1870, people aged 15–64 in Iraq had spent 0.01 years in school, on average.
1900
0.02 years.
about the same as 1870
1950
0.3 years.
+0.23 years since 1900
2015
7.8 years, the latest year in this series.
+7.5 years since 1950
Passed 2 years in 1975.
Passed 4 years in 1990.
Passed 6 years in 2000.
Long-run series (Lee & Lee, Barro & Lee) for people aged 15–64, every 5 years until 2015: a different age group than today’s figure (25 and older).