Karbala's 2026 population is now estimated at 842,600. In 1987, the population of Karbala was 296,705. Karbala has grown by 17,621 in the last year, which represents a 2.14% annual change. These population values and projections come from Iraq cities and urban centers 1987 census via CityPopulation fallback access, Iraq cities and urban centers 2009 and 2018 official estimates via CityPopulation fallback access and World Population Review Internal Projections .
| City | 2026 Pop. ↓ | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Baghdad | 8,001,223 | 2.21% |
| Basra | 1,609,715 | 2.31% |
| Mosul | 1,598,730 | 2.03% |
| Kirkuk | 1,179,748 | 2.45% |
| Erbil | 1,042,850 | 2.16% |
| Najaf | 885,805 | 2.15% |
| Karbala | 842,600 | 2.14% |
| Sulaymaniyah | 800,636 | 2.13% |
| Nasiriyah | 669,043 | 2.28% |
| Amarah | 634,083 | 2.33% |
| Al-Hillah | 544,495 | 2.25% |
| Diwaniyah | 480,391 | 2.19% |
| Kut | 473,303 | 2.47% |
| Dahuk | 405,827 | 2.2% |
| Az-Zubayr | 361,063 | 2.31% |
| Baqubah | 334,416 | 2.28% |
| Fallujah | 302,255 | 2.36% |
| Ramadi | 269,295 | 2.36% |
| As-Samawah | 268,047 | 2.4% |
| Zakhu | 252,356 | 2.2% |