Ethnic and Religious Groups in Iraq: Understanding the roots of the conflict

There are three main ethnic/religious groups in Iraq: Shi’a (or Shi’ite) Arabs (60% of pop.) Sunni Arabs (17-20% of pop.) Kurds (17-20% of pop.)

Arabs The majority of Iraq’s people are Arabs -- they share a common language (Arabic) and culture. Try to think about this separate from religion -- there are Arab Christians, Arab Jews, and Arab Muslims. When you think about the word Arab, think about language and culture.

Map of the Arab World

Map of the Muslim World

Sunnis and Shi’as After the Prophet Muhammad’s death in 632 CE, Muslims disagreed about who should succeed him. The Prophet Muhammad’s followers split into two groups -- Sunnis and Shi’as. (These differences are similar to splits in the Christian tradition -- Catholics and Protestants -- or in the Jewish tradition -- Reform and Orthodox Jews). Sunnis and Shi’as agree on the core fundamentals of Islam - the Five Pillars - and recognize each others as Muslims.

Kurds have lived in the region for more than 2,000 years. Map source:

Ethnic Kurds comprise more than 22 million people in 6 countries: 10 million in Turkey 5.5 million in Iran 3.5 million in Iraq Pockets in Syria, Azerbaijan and Armenia They speak a language related to Farsi. Most Kurds in Iraq are Sunni Muslims. Data source:

Following WWI the Kurds were promised their own country, carved out of the Ottoman Empire. The British, French, and Turks prevented this plan once oil was found in their territory. Instead, the League of Nations divided this region into three countries -- Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. Kurds are one of the largest ethnic groups without a country. In 1988, thousands of Kurds were killed in Northern Iraq when Saddam Hussein ordered gas attacks against them. Since the UN imposed the No Fly Zone in Iraq after the first Gulf War, Kurds have prospered and have not been as effected by sectarian violence (Sunni Arab vs. Shi’a Arab) as people in southern Iraq have been.