Iraq is home to 42M people with 58% smartphone penetration and an app market worth $300M. With Arabic as the primary language and +14.0% YoY year-over-year growth, it represents a significant opportunity for app developers. AppDrift provides full Arabic localization support to help you capture this market.
Market Overview
Population
42M
Smartphone Penetration
58%
App Market Revenue
$300M
Market Growth
+14.0% YoY
Internet Users
28M
Dominant Store
Google Play
AppDrift supports Iraq with full Arabic localization
Language & Locale
Primary Language
Arabic
Locale Code
ar-IQ
Keyword Language
Arabic
Additional Languages
To reach Iraq's users effectively, your app metadata should be professionally localized in Arabic. AppDrift's AI-powered translation and cultural adaptation tools ensure your titles, descriptions, and keywords resonate with local users while maintaining ASO best practices.
Top Categories
1
Social Media
2
Communication
3
Entertainment
4
Games
5
Finance
Understanding which categories dominate in Iraq helps you position your app effectively. Use AppDrift's AI metadata generation to create keyword-optimized listings tailored to Iraq's most competitive categories.
ASO Tips
Arabic metadata is essential — Kurdish (Sorani) can capture the Kurdish-speaking northern region
ZainCash and Asia Hawala are growing mobile wallets — reference in fintech listings
Social media and communication apps dominate — integrate social features prominently
Cultural Insights
Iraq is a young, rapidly digitalizing market with a growing smartphone user base. Social media usage is very high. The market is underserved by international apps, creating opportunities for early movers.
Adapting your app's visuals is just as important as localizing text. AppDrift's screenshot generator lets you create culturally relevant app store screenshots with localized text overlays for Iraq's audience.
Competition
Iraq presents a relatively low-competition environment for app developers. This is an excellent opportunity to establish a strong presence before the market matures. Early movers who invest in proper ASO and localization can capture significant market share with less effort than in saturated markets.
Get a competitive advantage in Iraq with AppDrift's full ASO platform — from AI-powered metadata to automated store publishing, everything you need to outrank competitors.
How AppDrift Helps
Arabic localization with optional Kurdish captures Iraq’s underserved 42M-person market with very limited international competition.
Translate your app metadata to Arabic with AI-powered cultural adaptation.
Generate ASO-optimized metadata for Iraq's market in Arabic.
Create localized screenshots for Iraq with Arabic text overlays.
Deploy to Iraq with one click via Google Play.
Track keyword rankings in Iraq with daily updates.
FAQ
The primary language for ASO in Iraq is Arabic (locale: ar-IQ). You should also consider localizing for Kurdish, English to reach broader audiences. Keywords should be researched in Arabic to match local search behavior. AppDrift's AI translation tools can help you localize metadata across all relevant languages.
Google Play is the dominant platform in Iraq. While you should still maintain a presence on both stores, prioritize your ASO efforts on Google Play for maximum impact. AppDrift helps you optimize for both platforms simultaneously.
The five most popular app categories in Iraq are Social Media, Communication, Entertainment, Games, Finance. Understanding category trends helps you position your app metadata and screenshots to appeal to local user preferences. AppDrift's metadata generation uses local market data to optimize your listings for these high-demand categories.
Iraq has a low level of competition in the app stores. This presents an excellent opportunity for early movers to establish a strong presence with relatively less effort than in more saturated markets.
AppDrift provides a complete ASO toolkit for Iraq: AI-powered metadata translation to Arabic with cultural adaptation, automated metadata generation optimized for local keywords, a free screenshot generator for creating localized visuals, and one-click store publishing to deploy across Iraq's app stores. Start with a free account to access the screenshot generator and basic features.
Join thousands of apps reaching Iraq's 42M smartphone users.