Origins & History
The Kurds are an Iranian ethnic group native to a mountainous region that spans parts of modern Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria — an area often referred to as Kurdistan. Kurdish identity is documented from medieval times, with the Kurdish language belonging to the northwestern branch of Iranian languages. Kurds are one of the largest ethnic groups without a state of their own.
Geographic Distribution
There are approximately 30 to 40 million Kurds worldwide. Around 15 to 20 million live in Turkey (concentrated in the southeast), 8 million in Iran, 6 million in Iraq (where the Kurdistan Regional Government has autonomous status), and 2 million in Syria. Smaller Kurdish populations live in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Lebanon.
Diaspora & Migration
The Kurdish diaspora numbers around 2 million people, largely in Western Europe. Germany hosts the largest Kurdish community outside the Middle East (around 1 million), followed by France, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Belgium. Smaller communities exist in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
About This Map
This map shows crowd perceptions of Kurdish populations. Because Kurds live across national borders in the Middle East, results may highlight the transnational nature of Kurdish identity.
The map above shows crowd opinion, not official demographic data. Vote on the main map to contribute your own perception of where Kurds populations live.