Introduction
Background
Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by the United Kingdom during World War I and was declared a League of Nations mandate under UK administration in 1920. Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. It was proclaimed a "republic" in 1958 after a coup overthrew the monarchy, but in actuality, a series of strongmen ruled the country until 2003. The last was SADDAM Husayn from 1979 to 2003. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and costly eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait but was expelled by US-led UN coalition forces during the Gulf War of January-February 1991. After Iraq's expulsion, the UN Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions led to the Second Gulf War in March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led forces.
In October 2005, Iraqis approved a constitution in a national referendum and, pursuant to this document, elected a 275-member Council of Representatives (COR) in December 2005. The COR approved most cabinet ministers in May 2006, marking the transition to Iraq's first constitutional government in nearly a half century. Iraq held elections for provincial councils in all governorates - except for Iraq's Kurdistan Region and Kirkuk - in January 2009 and in April and June 2013, and has repeatedly postponed the next provincial elections, originally planned for April 2017. Iraq has held four national legislative elections since 2006, most recently in October 2021 when 329 legislators were elected to the COR. The acting Iraqi National Intelligence Service Director General Mustafa al-KADHIMI became prime minister in May 2020 after the previous prime minister resigned in late 2019 because of widespread protests demanding more employment opportunities and an end to corruption. His mandate as prime minister was to guide Iraq toward an early national legislative election, which was held in October 2021.
Between 2014 and 2017, Iraq was engaged in a military campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) to recapture territory lost in the western and northern portion of the country. Iraqi and allied forces recaptured Mosul, the country's second-largest city, in 2017 and drove ISIS out of its other urban strongholds. In December 2017, then-Prime Minister Haydar al-ABADI publicly declared victory against ISIS while continuing operations against the group's residual presence in rural areas. Also in late 2017, ABADI responded to an independence referendum held by the Kurdistan Regional Government by ordering Iraqi forces to take control of disputed territories across central and northern Iraq that were previously occupied and governed by Kurdish forces.
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Geography
Location
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait
Geographic coordinates
33 00 N, 44 00 E
Map references
Middle East
Land boundaries
total: 3,809 km
border countries (6): Iran 1,599 km; Jordan 179 km; Kuwait 254 km; Saudi Arabia 811 km; Syria 599 km; Turkey 367 km
Coastline
58 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: not specified
Climate
mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in central and southern Iraq
Terrain
mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey
Elevation
highest point: Cheekha Dar (Kurdish for "Black Tent") 3,611 m
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
mean elevation: 312 m
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur
Land use
agricultural land: 18.1% (2018 est.)
arable land: 8.4% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.5% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 9.2% (2018 est.)
forest: 1.9% (2018 est.)
other: 80% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
35,250 sq km (2012)
Major lakes (area sq km)
fresh water lake(s): Lake Hammar - 1,940 sq km
Major rivers (by length in km)
Euphrates river mouth (shared with Turkey[s], Syria, and Iran) - 3,596 km; Tigris river mouth (shared with Turkey[s], Syria, and Iran) - 1,950 km; the Tigris and Euphrates join to form the Shatt al Arab
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Indian Ocean drainage: (Persian Gulf) Tigris and Euphrates (918,044 sq km)
Major aquifers
Arabian Aquifer System
Population distribution
population is concentrated in the north, center, and eastern parts of the country, with many of the larger urban agglomerations found along extensive parts of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; much of the western and southern areas are either lightly populated or uninhabited
Natural hazards
dust storms; sandstorms; floods
Geography - note
strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf
People and Society
Nationality
noun: Iraqi(s)
adjective: Iraqi
Ethnic groups
Arab 75-80%, Kurdish 15-20%, other 5% (includes Turkmen, Yezidi, Shabak, Kaka'i, Bedouin, Romani, Assyrian, Circassian, Sabaean-Mandaean, Persian)
note: data is a 1987 government estimate; no more recent reliable numbers are available
Languages
Arabic (official), Kurdish (official), Turkmen (a Turkish dialect), Syriac (Neo-Aramaic), and Armenian are official in areas where native speakers of these languages constitute a majority of the population
major-language sample(s):
كتاب حقائق العالم، أحسن مصدر للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions
Muslim (official) 95-98% (Shia 61-64%, Sunni 29-34%), Christian 1% (includes Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Assyrian Church of the East), other 1-4% (2015 est.)
note: the last census in Iraq was in 1997; while there has been voluntary relocation of many Christian families to northern Iraq, the overall Christian population has decreased at least 50% and perhaps as high as 90% since the fall of the SADDAM Husayn regime in 2003, according to US Embassy estimates, with many fleeing to Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon
Age structure
0-14 years: 37.02% (male 7,349,868/female 7,041,405)
15-24 years: 19.83% (male 3,918,433/female 3,788,157)
25-54 years: 35.59% (male 6,919,569/female 6,914,856)
55-64 years: 4.23% (male 805,397/female 839,137)
65 years and over: 3.33% (male 576,593/female 719,240) (2020 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 71
youth dependency ratio: 65.2
elderly dependency ratio: 5.8
potential support ratio: 17.1 (2021 est.)
Median age
total: 21.2 years
male: 20.8 years
female: 21.6 years (2020 est.)
Population distribution
population is concentrated in the north, center, and eastern parts of the country, with many of the larger urban agglomerations found along extensive parts of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; much of the western and southern areas are either lightly populated or uninhabited
Urbanization
urban population: 71.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 2.91% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
7.711 million BAGHDAD (capital), 1.792 million Mosul, 1.448 million Basra, 1.075 million Kirkuk, 958,000 Najaf, 897,000 Erbil (2023)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
79 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80Infant mortality rate
total: 19.62 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 21.34 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 17.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 73.18 years
male: 71.3 years
female: 75.15 years (2022 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
52.8% (2018)
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 97.4% of population
total: 99.3% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 2.6% of population
total: 0.7% of population (2020 est.)
Current health expenditure
4.5% of GDP (2019)
Physicians density
0.97 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
Hospital bed density
1.3 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk: intermediate (2020)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
note: widespread ongoing transmission of a respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is occurring throughout Iraq; as of 9 December 2022, Iraq has reported a total of 2,463,296 cases of COVID-19 or 6,124.18 cumulative cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population with a total of 25,363 cumulative deaths or a rate of 63.06 cumulative deaths per 100,000 population; as of 29 November 2022, 25.41% of the population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine
Alcohol consumption per capita
total: 0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 0.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use
total: 18.5% (2020 est.)
male: 35.1% (2020 est.)
female: 1.8% (2020 est.)
Child marriage
women married by age 15: 7.2%
women married by age 18: 27.9% (2018 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 85.6%
male: 91.2%
female: 79.9% (2017)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 25.6%
male: 22%
female: 63.3% (2017)
Environment
Environment - current issues
government water control projects drained most of the inhabited marsh areas east of An Nasiriyah by drying up or diverting the feeder streams and rivers; a once sizable population of Marsh Arabs, who inhabited these areas for thousands of years, has been displaced; furthermore, the destruction of the natural habitat poses serious threats to the area's wildlife populations; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil degradation (salination) and erosion; desertification; military and industrial infrastructure has released heavy metals and other hazardous substances into the air, soil, and groundwater; major sources of environmental damage are effluents from oil refineries, factory and sewage discharges into rivers, fertilizer and chemical contamination of the soil, and industrial air pollution in urban areas
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Environmental Modification
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 57.73 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 190.06 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 17.44 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate
mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in central and southern Iraq
Land use
agricultural land: 18.1% (2018 est.)
arable land: 8.4% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.5% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 9.2% (2018 est.)
forest: 1.9% (2018 est.)
other: 80% (2018 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 71.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 2.91% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Revenue from forest resources
forest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174Major infectious diseases
degree of risk: intermediate (2020)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
note: widespread ongoing transmission of a respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is occurring throughout Iraq; as of 9 December 2022, Iraq has reported a total of 2,463,296 cases of COVID-19 or 6,124.18 cumulative cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population with a total of 25,363 cumulative deaths or a rate of 63.06 cumulative deaths per 100,000 population; as of 29 November 2022, 25.41% of the population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine
Food insecurity
severe localized food insecurity: due to civil conflict and economic slowdown - the 2022 Humanitarian Needs Overview identified 2.5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, of which 960,000 have acute humanitarian needs; while the number of people in need remained similar to the previous year, the severity of those needs increased, largely due to the impact of the COVID‑19 pandemic on top of an existing humanitarian crisis, leading to a 35% increase in the number of people in acute need; more than half of these are concentrated in the governorates of Nineveh and Anbar; the number of severely food insecure people is estimated at about 435,000, while 731,000 are vulnerable to food insecurity (2022)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 13.14 million tons (2015 est.)
Major lakes (area sq km)
fresh water lake(s): Lake Hammar - 1,940 sq km
Major rivers (by length in km)
Euphrates river mouth (shared with Turkey[s], Syria, and Iran) - 3,596 km; Tigris river mouth (shared with Turkey[s], Syria, and Iran) - 1,950 km; the Tigris and Euphrates join to form the Shatt al Arab
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Indian Ocean drainage: (Persian Gulf) Tigris and Euphrates (918,044 sq km)
Major aquifers
Arabian Aquifer System
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 1.23 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
industrial: 2.05 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
agricultural: 35.27 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total renewable water resources
89.86 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Iraq
conventional short form: Iraq
local long form: Jumhuriyat al-Iraq/Komar-i Eraq
local short form: Al Iraq/Eraq
former: Mesopotamia, Mandatory Iraq, Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq
etymology: the name probably derives from "Uruk" (Biblical "Erech"), the ancient Sumerian and Babylonian city on the Euphrates River
Government type
federal parliamentary republic
Capital
name: Baghdad
geographic coordinates: 33 20 N, 44 24 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: although the origin of the name is disputed, it likely has compound Persian roots with bagh and dad meaning "god" and "given" respectively to create the meaning of "bestowed by God"
Administrative divisions
18 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah (Arabic); parezgakan, singular - parezga (Kurdish)); 'Al Anbar; Al Basrah; Al Muthanna; Al Qadisiyah (Ad Diwaniyah); An Najaf; Arbil (Erbil) (Arabic), Hewler (Kurdish); As Sulaymaniyah (Arabic), Slemani (Kurdish); Babil; Baghdad; Dahuk (Arabic), Dihok (Kurdish); Dhi Qar; Diyala; Karbala'; Kirkuk; Maysan; Ninawa; Salah ad Din; Wasit
note: Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government administers Arbil, Dahuk, and As Sulaymaniyah (as Hewler, Dihok, and Slemani respectively)
Independence
3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration); note - on 28 June 2004 the Coalition Provisional Authority transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government
National holiday
Independence Day, 3 October (1932); Republic Day, 14 July (1958)
Constitution
history: several previous; latest adopted by referendum 15 October 2005
amendments: proposed by the president of the republic and the Council of Minsters collectively, or by one fifth of the Council of Representatives members; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Council of Representatives, approval by referendum, and ratification by the president; passage of amendments to articles on citizen rights and liberties requires two-thirds majority vote of Council of Representatives members after two successive electoral terms, approval in a referendum, and ratification by the president
Legal system
mixed legal system of civil and Islamic law
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Iraq
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: President Abdul Latif RASHID (since 13 October 2022; vice presidents (vacant)
head of government: Prime Minister-Designate Mohammed Shia al-SUDANI (since 13 October 2022)
cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, approved by Council of Representatives
elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by Council of Representatives (COR) to serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); COR parliamentary election for president last held on 13 October 2022 (next to be held in 2026)
election results: 2022: COR vote in first round - Abdul Latif RASHID (PUK) 157, Barham SALIH (PUK) 99; Abdul Latif RASHID elected president in second round - Abdul latif RASHID 167, Barham SALIH 99
2018: COR vote in first round - Barham SALIH (PUK) 165, Fuad HUSAYN (KDP) 90; Barham SALIH elected president in second round - Barham SALIH 219, Fuad HUSAYN 22; note - the COR vote on 1 October 2018 failed due to a lack of quorum, and a new session was held on 2 October 2018
2014: Fuad MASUM elected president in first round; COR vote - Fuad MASUM (PUK) 211, Barham SALIH (PUK) 17; Haydar al-ABADI (Da'wa Party) approved as prime minister
Legislative branch
description: unicameral Council of Representatives of Iraq (COR) or Majlis an-Nuwwab al-Iraqiyy (329 seats; 320 members directly elected in 83 multi-seat constituencies by single nontransferable vote, 9 seats reserved for minorities - 5 for Christians, 1 each for Sabaean-Mandaeans, Yazidis, Shabaks, Fayli Kurds, and 25% of seats allocated to women; members serve 4-year terms); note - in late 2020, the COR approved an electoral law, replacing the proportional representation voting system with the single non-transferable system
elections: last held on 10 October 2021 (next to be held in October 2025)
election results: percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - Sadrist Bloc 73, National Progress Alliance 37, State of Law Coalition 33, Kurdish Democratic Party 31, Al Fatah Alliance 17, Kurdistan Alliance 17, Al Iraq Alliance 14, New Generation Movement 14, Ishraqet Konoon 6, Tasmin Alliance 5, Babylon Movement 4, National Contract Alliance 4, National State Forces Alliance 4, other 22, independent 43; composition - men 234, women 95, percent of women 28.9%
Judicial branch
highest court(s): Federal Supreme Court or FSC (consists of 9 judges); note - court jurisdiction limited to constitutional issues, application of federal laws, ratification of election results for the COR, judicial competency disputes, and disputes between regions or governorates and the central government; Court of Cassation (consists of a court president, 5 vice presidents, and at least 24 judges)
judge selection and term of office: Federal Supreme Court judges nominated by the HJC President, the FSC Chief Justice, the Public Prosecutor's Office chief, and the head of the Judicial Oversight Commission; FSC members required to retire at age 72; Court of Cassation judges appointed by the HJC and confirmed by the Council of Representatives to serve until retirement nominally at age 63, but can be extended to age 66 by the HJC
subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal (governorate level); civil courts, including first instance, personal status, labor, and customs; criminal courts including felony, misdemeanor, investigative, major crimes, juvenile, and traffic courts
Political parties and leaders
Al Fatah Alliance [Hadi al-AMIRI]
Azm Alliance [Khamis al-KHANJAR]
Babylon Movement [Rayan al-KILDANI]
Imtidad
Ishraqet Konoon [Jaafar AZIZ]
Kurdistan Democratic Party or KDP [Masoud BARZANI]
National Contract Alliance [Falih al-FAYYADH]
National State Forces Alliance [Ammar al-HAKIM]
National Wisdom Trend [Ammar al-HAKIM]
New Generation Movement or Naway Nwe [SHASWAR Abd al-Wahid Qadir]
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan or PUK [Bafel TALABANI]
Sadrist Movement [Muqtada al-SADR]
State of Law Coalition [Nuri al-MALIKI]
Taqadum or Progress Party [Muhammad al-HALBUSI]
Tasmin Alliance [Sarah al-SALIHI]
numerous smaller independent, religious, local, tribal, and minority parties
International organization participation
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CICA, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Mohammed Husham Malik AL FITYAN (since 22 March 2022)
chancery: 3421 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 742-1600
FAX: [1] (202) 333-1129
email address and website:
http://www.iraqiembassy.us/
consulate(s) general: Detroit, Los Angeles
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Alina L. ROMANOWSKI (since 2 June 2022)
embassy: Al-Kindi Street, International Zone, Baghdad; note - consulate in Al Basrah closed as of 28 September 2018
mailing address: 6060 Baghdad Place, Washington DC 20521-6060
telephone: 0760-030-3000
email address and website:
BaghdadACS@state.gov
https://iq.usembassy.gov/
Flag description
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the Takbir (Arabic expression meaning "God is great") in green Arabic script is centered in the white band; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white); the Council of Representatives approved this flag in 2008 as a compromise replacement for the Ba'thist SADDAM-era flag
note: similar to the flag of Syria, which has two stars but no script; Yemen, which has a plain white band; and that of Egypt, which has a golden Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band
National symbol(s)
golden eagle; national colors: red, white, black
National anthem
name: "Mawtini" (My Homeland)
lyrics/music: Ibrahim TOUQAN/Mohammad FLAYFEL
note: adopted 2004; following the ouster of SADDAM Husayn, Iraq adopted "Mawtini," a popular folk song throughout the Arab world; also serves as an unofficial anthem of the Palestinian people
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 6 (5 cultural, 1 mixed)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (c); Babylon (c); Erbil Citadel (c); Hatra (c); Samarra Archaeological City (c); The Ahwar (Marshland) of Southern Iraq: Refuge of Biodiversity and the Relict Landscape of the Mesopotamian Cities (m)
Economy
Economic overview
Iraq's GDP growth slowed to 1.1% in 2017, a marked decline compared to the previous two years as domestic consumption and investment fell because of civil violence and a sluggish oil market. The Iraqi Government received its third tranche of funding from its 2016 Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) with the IMF in August 2017, which is intended to stabilize its finances by encouraging improved fiscal management, needed economic reform, and expenditure reduction. Additionally, in late 2017 Iraq received more than $1.4 billion in financing from international lenders, part of which was generated by issuing a $1 billion bond for reconstruction and rehabilitation in areas liberated from ISIL. Investment and key sector diversification are crucial components to Iraq’s long-term economic development and require a strengthened business climate with enhanced legal and regulatory oversight to bolster private-sector engagement. The overall standard of living depends on global oil prices, the central government passage of major policy reforms, a stable security environment post-ISIS, and the resolution of civil discord with the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG).
Iraq's largely state-run economy is dominated by the oil sector, which provides roughly 85% of government revenue and 80% of foreign exchange earnings, and is a major determinant of the economy's fortunes. Iraq's contracts with major oil companies have the potential to further expand oil exports and revenues, but Iraq will need to make significant upgrades to its oil processing, pipeline, and export infrastructure to enable these deals to reach their economic potential.
In 2017, Iraqi oil exports from northern fields were disrupted following a KRG referendum that resulted in the Iraqi Government reasserting federal control over disputed oil fields and energy infrastructure in Kirkuk. The Iraqi government and the KRG dispute the role of federal and regional authorities in the development and export of natural resources. In 2007, the KRG passed an oil law to develop IKR oil and gas reserves independent of the federal government. The KRG has signed about 50 contracts with foreign energy companies to develop its reserves, some of which lie in territories taken by Baghdad in October 2017. The KRG is able to unilaterally export oil from the fields it retains control of through its own pipeline to Turkey, which Baghdad claims is illegal. In the absence of a national hydrocarbons law, the two sides have entered into five provisional oil- and revenue-sharing deals since 2009, all of which collapsed.
Iraq is making slow progress enacting laws and developing the institutions needed to implement economic policy, and political reforms are still needed to assuage investors' concerns regarding the uncertain business climate. The Government of Iraq is eager to attract additional foreign direct investment, but it faces a number of obstacles, including a tenuous political system and concerns about security and societal stability. Rampant corruption, outdated infrastructure, insufficient essential services, skilled labor shortages, and antiquated commercial laws stifle investment and continue to constrain growth of private, nonoil sectors. Under the Iraqi constitution, some competencies relevant to the overall investment climate are either shared by the federal government and the regions or are devolved entirely to local governments. Investment in the IKR operates within the framework of the Kurdistan Region Investment Law (Law 4 of 2006) and the Kurdistan Board of Investment, which is designed to provide incentives to help economic development in areas under the authority of the KRG.
Inflation has remained under control since 2006. However, Iraqi leaders remain hard-pressed to translate macroeconomic gains into an improved standard of living for the Iraqi populace. Unemployment remains a problem throughout the country despite a bloated public sector. Overregulation has made it difficult for Iraqi citizens and foreign investors to start new businesses. Corruption and lack of economic reforms - such as restructuring banks and developing the private sector – have inhibited the growth of the private sector.
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$372.27 billion (2020 est.)
$415.32 billion (2019 est.)
$397.64 billion (2018 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate
-2.1% (2017 est.)
13.1% (2016 est.)
2.5% (2015 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$9,300 (2020 est.)
$10,600 (2019 est.)
$10,300 (2018 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate)
$231.994 billion (2019 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
-0.1% (2019 est.)
0.3% (2018 est.)
0.2% (2017 est.)
Credit ratings
Fitch rating: B- (2015)
Moody's rating: Caa1 (2017)
Standard & Poors rating: B- (2015)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 3.3% (2017 est.)
industry: 51% (2017 est.)
services: 45.8% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 50.4% (2013 est.)
government consumption: 22.9% (2016 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 20.6% (2016 est.)
investment in inventories: 0% (2016 est.)
exports of goods and services: 32.5% (2016 est.)
imports of goods and services: -40.9% (2016 est.)
Agricultural products
wheat, barley, dates, tomatoes, rice, maize, grapes, potatoes, rice, watermelons
Industries
petroleum, chemicals, textiles, leather, construction materials, food processing, fertilizer, metal fabrication/processing
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 21.6%
industry: 18.7%
services: 59.8% (2008 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 25.6%
male: 22%
female: 63.3% (2017)
Population below poverty line
23% (2014 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
29.5 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 3.6%
highest 10%: 25.7% (2007 est.)
Budget
revenues: 68.71 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: 76.82 billion (2017 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Current account balance
$4.344 billion (2017 est.)
-$13.38 billion (2016 est.)
Exports
$50.61 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$88.9 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$91.93 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Exports - partners
China 26%, India 24%, South Korea 9%, United States 8%, Italy 6%, Greece 6% (2019)
Exports - commodities
crude petroleum, refined petroleum, gold, dates, petroleum coke (2019)
Imports
$54.72 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$72.28 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$56.88 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Imports - partners
United Arab Emirates 28%, Turkey 21%, China 19% (2019)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, cars, jewelry, cigarettes (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$48.88 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$45.36 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Debt - external
$73.02 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$64.16 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Exchange rates
Iraqi dinars (IQD) per US dollar -
1,184 (2017 est.)
1,182 (2016 est.)
1,182 (2015 est.)
1,167.63 (2014 est.)
1,213.72 (2013 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2020)
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 28.369 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 46,492,540,000 kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
imports: 14.18 billion kWh (2019 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 58.502 billion kWh (2019 est.)
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 97.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 2.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
total petroleum production: 4,161,500 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 863,300 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 3,975,800 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 145.019 billion barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production
398,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37Natural gas
production: 10,710,773,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
consumption: 18,014,129,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 7,303,356,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
proven reserves: 3,728,926,000,000 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
143.479 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 108.14 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 35.339 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
63.174 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 2,699,758 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7 (2020 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 37,475,325 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 93 (2020 est.)
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: Iraq continues to face a number of political and economic challenges, though increasing civil stability has made it easier for mobile and fixed-line operators to rebuild telecom services and infrastructure damaged during the last few years; the government extended the licenses held by the MNOs for an additional three years to compensate for the chaos and destruction caused between 2014 and 2017 when Islamic State held sway in many areas of the country; the companies have struggled to develop LTE services; most services are still based on GSM and 3G, except in the Kurdish region where LTE is more widely available (2022)
domestic: about 7 per 100 for fixed-line and 93 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2020)
international: country code - 964; landing points for FALCON, and GBICS/MENA submarine cables providing connections to the Middle East, Africa and India; satellite earth stations - 4 (2 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean, 1 Intersputnik - Atlantic Ocean region, and 1 Arabsat (inoperative)); local microwave radio relay connects border regions to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey (2019)
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
Broadcast media
the number of private radio and TV stations has increased rapidly since 2003; government-owned TV and radio stations are operated by the publicly funded Iraqi Media Network; private broadcast media are mostly linked to political, ethnic, or religious groups; satellite TV is available to an estimated 70% of viewers and many of the broadcasters are based abroad; transmissions of multiple international radio broadcasters are accessible (2019)
Internet users
total: 24,133,502 (2020 est.)
percent of population: 60% (2020 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 6,254,099 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 16 (2020 est.)
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 4 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 34
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,075,065 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 16.2 million (2018) mt-km
Airports - with paved runways
total: 72
over 3,047 m: 20
2,438 to 3,047 m: 34
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 7 (2021)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 30
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 6 (2021)
Heliports
16 (2021)
Pipelines
2,455 km gas, 913 km liquid petroleum gas, 5,432 km oil, 1,637 km refined products (2013)
Railways
total: 2,272 km (2014)
standard gauge: 2,272 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge
Roadways
total: 59,623 km (2012)
paved: 59,623 km (2012) (includes Kurdistan region)
Waterways
5,279 km (2012) (the Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,899 km), and Third River (565 km) are the principal waterways)
country comparison to the world: 24Merchant marine
total: 68
by type: general cargo 1, oil tanker 6, other 61 (2021)
Ports and terminals
river port(s): Al Basrah (Shatt al Arab); Khawr az Zubayr, Umm Qasr (Khawr az Zubayr waterway)
Military and Security
Military and security forces
Ministry of Defense: Iraqi Army, Army Aviation Command, Iraqi Navy, Iraqi Air Force, Iraqi Air Defense Command, Special Forces Command, Special Security Division (Green Zone protection)
National-Level Security Forces: Iraqi Counterterrorism Service (CTS), Prime Minister's Special Forces Division, Presidential Brigades
Ministry of Interior: Federal Police Forces Command, Border Guard Forces Command, Federal Intelligence and Investigations Agency, Emergency Response Division, Facilities Protection Directorate, and Provincial Police
Ministry of Oil: Energy Police Directorate
Kurdistan Regional Government Ministry of Peshmerga: Regional Guard Brigades, Unit (or Division) 70 Forces, Unit (or Division) 80 Forces, special operations/counter-terrorism forces (Counter Terrorism Group, CTG and Counter Terrorism Directorate, CTD); note - Unit 70 and the CTG are associated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) political party, while Unit 80 and the CTD are associated with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP); Kurdistan Regional Government Ministry of Interior: Zeravani and Emergency Response Forces (paramilitary internal security forces)
Popular Mobilization Committee (PMC): Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Tribal Mobilization Forces (TMF); the PMF and TMF are a collection of approximately 60 militias of widely varied sizes and political interests (2022)
Military expenditures
3.7% of GDP (2021 est.)
4.1% of GDP (2020 est.)
3.8% of GDP (2019 est.) (approximately $14.6 billion)
4.5% of GDP (2018 est.) (approximately $16 billion)
6% of GDP (2017 est.) (approximately $20.4 billion)
Military and security service personnel strengths
information varies; approximately 200,000 personnel under the Ministry of Defense (190,000 Army/Aviation Command/Special Forces; 5,000 Navy; 5,000 Air/Air Defense Forces); approximately 25,000 National-Level Security Forces; Ministry of Peshmerga: approximately 150,000-plus (45-50,000 Regional Guard Brigades; 40-45,000 Unit 70 Forces; 65-70,000 Unit 80 Forces); estimated 100-160,000 Popular Mobilization Forces (2022)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the Iraqi military's inventory includes a mix of equipment from a wide variety of sources, including Europe, South Africa, South Korea, Russia, and the US; since 2010, Russia and the US have been the leading suppliers of military hardware to Iraq (2022)
Military service age and obligation
18-40 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2022)
note: service in the armed forces was mandatory in Iraq from 1935 up until 2003
Military - note
as of 2022, Iraqi security forces (ISF) continued to conduct counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) terrorist group, particularly in northern and western Iraq; Kurdish Security Forces (KSF, aka Peshmerga) also conducted operations against ISIS
the KSF were formally recognized as a legitimate Iraqi military force under the country’s constitution and have operated jointly with the Iraqi military against ISIS militants, but they also operate outside of Iraqi military command structure; since 2021, the ISF and the KSF have conducted joint counter-ISIS operations in an area known as the Kurdish Coordination Line (KCL), a swath of disputed territory in northern Iraq claimed by both the Kurdistan Regional Government and the central Iraqi Government; the KSF/Peshmerga report to the Kurdistan Regional Government or Kurdistan Democratic Party and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan parties instead of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense
Popular Mobilization Commission and Affiliated Forces (PMF or PMC), also known as Popular Mobilization Units (PMU, or al-Hashd al-Sha’abi in Arabic), tribal militia units have fought alongside the Iraqi military against ISIS since 2014, but the majority of these forces continue to largely ignore the 2016 Law of the Popular Mobilization Authority, which mandated that armed militias must be regulated in a fashion similar to Iraq’s other security forces and act under the Iraqi Government’s direct control; the Iraqi Government funds the PMF, and the prime minister legally commands it, but many of the militia units take orders from associated political parties and/or other government officials, including some with ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and some that have been designated as terrorist organizations by the US; the PMF/PMU is an umbrella organization comprised of many different militias, the majority of which are Shia:
--Shia militias backed by Iran; they are considered the most active and capable, and include such groups as the Badr Organization (Saraya al-Sala), Asaib Ahl al-Haq, and Kataib Hizballah
--Shia militias affiliated with Shia political parties, but not aligned with Iran, such as the Peace Brigades (Saray al-Salam)
--Shia militias not connected with political parties, but affiliated with the Najaf-based Grand Ayatollah Ali al-SISTANI (Iraq’s supreme Shia cleric), such as the Hawza militias
--other PMF/PMU militias include Sunni Tribal Mobilization militias, or Hashd al-Asha’iri; some of these militias take orders from the ISF and local authorities while others respond to orders from the larger Shia PMU militias; still other militias include Yazidi and Christian militias and the Turkmen brigades; the links of these forces to the PMU is not always clear-cut and may be loosely based on financial, legal, or political incentives
at the request of the Iraqi government, NATO agreed to establish an advisory, training and capacity-building mission for the Iraqi military in October 2018; as of 2022, the NATO Mission Iraq (NMI) had about 500 troops; in December 2021, the task force that leads the defeat ISIS mission in Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), transitioned from a combat role to an advise, assist, and enable role (2022)
Terrorism
Terrorist group(s)
Ansar al-Islam; Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Jaysh Rijal al-Tariq al-Naqshabandi; Kata'ib Hizballah; Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
Iraq-Iran: Iraq's lack of a maritime boundary with Iran prompts jurisdiction disputes beyond the mouth of the Shatt al Arab in the Persian Gulf
Iraq-Turkey: Turkey has expressed concern over the autonomous status of Kurds in Iraq
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 15,272 (Turkey), 7,881 (West Bank and Gaza Strip) (mid-year 2021); 263,087 (Syria) (2022)
IDPs: 1,184,818 (displacement in central and northern Iraq since January 2014) (2022)
stateless persons: 47,253 (mid-year 2021); note - in the 1970s and 1980s under SADDAM Husayn's regime, thousands of Iraq's Faili Kurds, followers of Shia Islam, were stripped of their Iraqi citizenship, had their property seized by the government, and many were deported; some Faili Kurds had their citizenship reinstated under the 2006 Iraqi Nationality Law, but others lack the documentation to prove their Iraqi origins; some Palestinian refugees persecuted by the SADDAM regime remain stateless