2021 Edition

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 in January 2009 and April 2013 and postponed the next provincial elections, originally planned for April 2017, until 2019. Iraq has held three national legislative elections since 2005, most recently in May 2018 when 329 legislators were elected to the COR. Adil ABD AL-MAHDI assumed the premiership in October 2018 as a consensus and independent candidate - the first prime minister who is not an active member of a major political bloc. However, widespread protests that began in October 2019 demanding more employment opportunities and an end to corruption prompted ABD AL-MAHDI to announce his resignation on 20 November 2019. 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.

Area

land

437,367 sq km

total

438,317 sq km

water

950 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than three times the size of New York state

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

Coastline

58 km

Elevation

highest point

Cheekha Dar (Kurdish for "Black Tent") 3,611 m

lowest point

Persian Gulf 0 m

mean elevation

312 m

Geographic coordinates

33 00 N, 44 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf

Irrigated land

35,250 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Iran 1599 km, Jordan 179 km, Kuwait 254 km, Saudi Arabia 811 km, Syria 599 km, Turkey 367 km

total

3,809 km

Land use

agricultural land

18.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 8.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 9.2% (2018 est.)

forest

1.9% (2018 est.)

other

80% (2018 est.)

Location

Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait

Major aquifers

Arabian Aquifer System

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 Arabnote – [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)

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

continental shelf

not specified

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

dust storms; sandstorms; floods

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur

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

Terrain

mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey

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.)

Birth rate

25.21 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

3.9% (2018)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

52.8% (2018)

Current Health Expenditure

4.1% (2018)

Death rate

3.92 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

5.9

potential support ratio

17.1 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

69.9

youth dependency ratio

64.1

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 95% of population

improved: total

total: 97.9% of population

improved: urban

urban: 98.8% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 5% of population

unimproved: total

total: 2.1% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1.2% of population

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Arab 75-80%, Kurdish 15-20%, other 5% (includes Turkmen, Yezidi, Shabak, Kaka'i, Bedouin, Romani, Assyrian, Circassian, Sabaean-Mandaean, Persian)

note

note: data is a 1987 government estimate; no more recent reliable numbers are available

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Hospital bed density

1.3 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

18.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

21.84 deaths/1,000 live births

total

20.08 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

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.

Life expectancy at birth

female

74.89 years (2021 est.)

male

71.01 years

total population

72.9 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

79.9% (2017)

male

91.2%

total population

85.6%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

intermediate (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

note

note: widespread ongoing transmission of a respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is occurring throughout Iraq; as of 6 October 2021, Iraq has reported a total of 2,014,104 cases of COVID-19 or 5,007.41 cumulative cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population with 55.74 cumulative deaths per 100,000 population; as of 26 September 2021, 11.35% of the population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine

Major urban areas - population

7.323 million BAGHDAD (capital), 1.683 million Mosul, 1.382 million Basra, 1.031 million Kirkuk, 901,000 Najaf, 861,000 Erbil (2021)

Maternal mortality ratio

79 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

21.6 years (2020 est.)

male

20.8 years

total

21.2 years

Nationality

adjective

Iraqi

noun

Iraqi(s)

Net migration rate

-0.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

30.4% (2016)

Physicians density

0.71 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

39,650,145 (July 2021 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

Population growth rate

2.06% (2021 est.)

Religions

Muslim (official) 95-98% (Shia 64-69%, Sunni 29-34%), Christian 1% (includes Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Assyrian Church of the East), other 1-4% (2015 est.)

note

note: 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

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 89.7% of population

improved: total

total: 95.2% of population

improved: urban

urban: 96.7% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 10.3% of population

unimproved: total

total: 4.8% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 3.3% of population

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.8 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.32 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

63.3% (2017)

male

22%

total

25.6%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.91% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

71.1% of total population (2021)

Administrative divisions

18 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah (Arabic); parezgakan, singular - parezga (Kurdish)) and 1 region*; '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'; Karkuk; Kurdistan Regional Government*; Maysan; Ninawa; Salah ad Din; Wasit

Capital

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"

geographic coordinates

33 20 N, 44 24 E

name

Baghdad

time difference

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

Constitution

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

history

several previous; latest adopted by referendum 15 October 2005

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Iraq

conventional short form

Iraq

etymology

the name probably derives from "Uruk" (Biblical "Erech"), the ancient Sumerian and Babylonian city on the Euphrates River

former

Mesopotamia, Mandatory Iraq, Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq

local long form

Jumhuriyat al-Iraq/Komar-i Eraq

local short form

Al Iraq/Eraq

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Matthew TUELLER (since 9 June 2019)

email address and website

BaghdadACS@state.govhttps://iq.usembassy.gov/

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3421 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20007

chief of mission

Ambassador Fareed Mustafa Kamil YASSEEN (since 18 January 2017)

consulate(s) general

Detroit, Los Angeles

email address and website

http://www.iraqiembassy.us/

FAX

[1] (202) 333-1129

telephone

[1] (202) 742-1600

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, approved by Council of Representatives

chief of state

President Barham SALIH (since 2 October 2018); vice presidents (vacant)

election results

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 October2014: Fuad MASUM elected president; Council of Representatives vote - Fuad MASUM (PUK) 211, Barham SALIH (PUK) 17; Haydar al-ABADI (Da'wa Party) approved as prime minister

elections/appointments

president indirectly elected by Council of Representatives (COR) to serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); COR election last held on 12 May 2018 (next NA)

head of government

Prime Minister Mustafa al-KADHIMI (since 7 May 2020)

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

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

Government type

federal parliamentary republic

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

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

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)

Judicial branch

highest courts

Federal Supreme Court or FSC (consists of 9 judges); note - court jurisdiction limited to constitutional issues 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 and Court of Cassation judges selected by the president of the republic from nominees selected by the Higher Judicial Council (HJC), a 25-member committee of judicial officials that manages the judiciary and prosecutors; FSC members appointed for life; Court of Cassation judges appointed by the HJC and confirmed by the Council of Representatives to serve until retirement nominally at age 63

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

Legal system

mixed legal system of civil and Islamic law

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Council of Representatives or Majlis an-Nuwwab al-Iraqiyy (329 seats; 320 members directly elected in 83 multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 9 seats at the national level reserved for minorities - 5 for Christians, 1 each for Sabaean-Mandaeans, Yazidis, Shabaks, Fayli Kurds; 25% of seats allocated to women; members serve 4-year terms); note - in early November 2020, the president ratified a new electoral law - approved by the Council of Representatives in late October - that eliminates the proportional representation electoral system

election results

percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - NA

elections

last held on 10 October 2021 (next to be held in October 2025)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Ibrahim TOUQAN/Mohammad FLAYFEL

name

"Mawtini" (My Homeland)

note

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 holiday

Independence Day, 3 October (1932); Republic Day, 14 July (1958)

National symbol(s)

golden eagle; national colors: red, white, black

Political parties and leaders

Al Fatah Alliance [Hadi al-AMIRI]Al Nasr Alliance [Haydar al-ABADI]Al Sadiqun Bloc [Adnan al-DULAYMI]Al Sa'irun Alliance [Muqtda al-SADR]Badr Organization [Hadi al-AMIRI]Da`wa Party [Nuri al-MALIKI]Fadilah Party [Muhammad al-YAQUBI]Goran Movement [Omar SAYYID ALI]Iraqi Communist Party [Hamid Majid MUSA]Iraq Decision Alliance [Khamis al-KHANJAR, Usama al-NUJAYFI]Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq or ISCI [Humam HAMMUDI]Kurdistan Democratic Party or KDP [Masoud BARZANI]National Wisdom Trend [Ammar al-HAKIM]New Generation Movement [SHASWAR Abd al-Wahid Qadir]Our Identity [Muhammad al-HALBUSI]Patriotic Union of Kurdistan or PUK [KOSRAT Rasul Ali, acting]State of Law Coalition [Nuri al MALIKIWataniyah coalition [Ayad ALLAWI]numerous smaller religious, local, tribal, and minority parties

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

wheat, barley, dates, tomatoes, rice, maize, grapes, potatoes, rice, watermelons

Budget

expenditures

76.82 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

68.71 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-4.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

B- (2015)

Moody's rating

Caa1 (2017)

Standard & Poors rating

B- (2015)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$13.38 billion (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

$4.344 billion (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2016

$64.16 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2017

$73.02 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

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.

Exchange rates

currency

Iraqi dinars (IQD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

1,213.72 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

1,167.63 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

1,182 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

1,182 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

1,184 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$91.93 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$88.9 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$50.61 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, refined petroleum, gold, dates, petroleum coke (2019)

Exports - partners

China 26%, India 24%, South Korea 9%, United States 8%, Italy 6%, Greece 6% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

32.5% (2016 est.)

government consumption

22.9% (2016 est.)

household consumption

50.4% (2013 est.)

imports of goods and services

-40.9% (2016 est.)

investment in fixed capital

20.6% (2016 est.)

investment in inventories

0% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

3.3% (2017 est.)

industry

51% (2017 est.)

services

45.8% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$231.994 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2012

29.5 (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

25.7% (2007 est.)

lowest 10%

3.6%

Imports

Imports 2018

$56.88 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$72.28 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$54.72 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, cars, jewelry, cigarettes (2019)

Imports - partners

United Arab Emirates 28%, Turkey 21%, China 19% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

0.7% (2017 est.)

Industries

petroleum, chemicals, textiles, leather, construction materials, food processing, fertilizer, metal fabrication/processing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

0.2% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

0.3% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

-0.1% (2019 est.)

Labor force

8.9 million (2010 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

21.6%

industry

18.7%

services

59.8% (2008 est.)

Population below poverty line

23% (2014 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

66% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

59.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$397.64 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$415.32 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$372.27 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

2.5% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

13.1% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

-2.1% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$10,300 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$10,600 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$9,300 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$45.36 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$48.88 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

35.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2010

15% (2010 est.)

Unemployment rate 2012

16% (2012 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

63.3% (2017)

male

22%

total

25.6%

Crude oil - exports

3.092 million bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

4.613 million bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

148.8 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

38.46 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

91% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

9% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

11.97 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

27.09 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

75.45 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

Natural gas - consumption

2.633 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

1.359 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

1.274 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

3.82 trillion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

826,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

8,284 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

255,100 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

398,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

13.56 (2020 est.)

total

5,453,799 (2020)

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 country code

.iq

Internet users

percent of population

49.36% (2019 est.)

total

30.52 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

the mobile cellular market continues to expand; 3G services offered by three major mobile operators; 4G offered by one operator in Iraqi; conflict has destroyed infrastructure in areas; 7 per 100 for fixed-line and 95 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2019)

general assessment

the 2003 liberation of Iraq severely disrupted telecommunications throughout the country; widespread government efforts to rebuild domestic and international communications have slowed due to political unrest; recent efforts create stability and developments in 4G and 5G technologies; operators focus on installations of new fiber-optic cables and growth in mobile broadband subscribers; the most popular plans are pre-paid; operators focused on fixing and replacing networks (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

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 downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

10.36 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

4,166,461 (2020)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

91.86 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

36,946,600 (2020)

Airports

total

102 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

4

2,438 to 3,047 m

34

914 to 1,523 m

7

over 3,047 m

20

total

72

under 914 m

7 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

3

2,438 to 3,047 m

5

914 to 1,523 m

13

over 3,047 m

3

total

30

under 914 m

6 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

YI

Heliports

16 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 1, oil tanker 6, other 61 (2021)

total

68

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

16.2 million mt-km (2018)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

2,075,065 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

34

number of registered air carriers

4 (2020)

Pipelines

2455 km gas, 913 km liquid petroleum gas, 5432 km oil, 1637 km refined products (2013)

Ports and terminals

river port(s)

Al Basrah (Shatt al Arab); Khawr az Zubayr, Umm Qasr (Khawr az Zubayr waterway)

Railways

standard gauge

2,272 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)

total

2,272 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

59,623 km (includes Kurdistan region) (2012)

total

59,623 km (2012)

Waterways

5,279 km (the Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,899 km), and Third River (565 km) are the principal waterways) (2012)

Military - note

as of early 2021, Iraqi security forces (ISF) continued to conduct counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism 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 ISISthe KSF are 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; in mid-2021, the KSF and ISF conducted a joint counter-ISIS operation in an area known as the Kurdistan Coordination Line, 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 DefensePopular 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 prime minister legally commands the PMF, but most of the militia brigades take orders from associated political parties and/or other government officials, including some with ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and two 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; there are typically three types of Shia militia: --militias backed by Iran, particularly the IRGC; they are considered the most active and capable, and include such groups as the Badr Organization, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, and Kataib Hizballah --militias affiliated with Shia political parties, but not aligned with Iran, such as Moqtada al-SADR's Saray al-Salam (Peace Brigades) --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 Tribal Mobilization militias, or Hashd al-Asha’iri, which are composed of fighters from Sunni tribes; 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 in Iraq in October 2018 to help Iraqi forces in their fight against ISIS; NATO Mission Iraq (NMI) currently has about 500 troops, but in February 2021 NATO announced it would increase the presence to about 4,000, although no timeframe was given (2021)

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; a Special Forces Division aka the "Golden Division"), Prime Minister's Special Forces Division, Presidential BrigadesMinistry of Interior: Federal Police Forces Command, Border Guard Forces Command, Federal Intelligence and Investigations Agency, Emergency Response Division, Facilities Protection Directorate, and Provincial PoliceMinistry of Oil: Energy Police Directorate Ministry of Peshmerga (Kurdistan Regional Government): 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); 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 (2021)

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 (10,000 Iraqi Counterterrorism Service; 10,000 Presidential Brigades; 5,000 Prime Minister’s Special Forces Division); Ministry of Peshmerga: approximately 150,000-plus (35,000 Regional Guard Brigades; 50,000 Unit 70 Forces; 70,000 Unit 80 Forces); estimated 100-160,000 Popular Mobilization Forces (2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Iraqi military inventory is comprised of Russian and Soviet-era equipment combined with newer European- and US-sourced platforms; since 2010, Russia and the US are the leading suppliers of military hardware to Iraq (2021)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2016

3.5% of GDP (2016)

Military Expenditures 2017

3.9% of GDP (2017)

Military Expenditures 2018

2.9% of GDP (2018)

Military Expenditures 2019

3.9% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

4.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-40 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2021)

Disputes - international

Iraq's lack of a maritime boundary with Iran prompts jurisdiction disputes beyond the mouth of the Shatt al Arab in the Persian Gulf; Turkey has expressed concern over the autonomous status of Kurds in Iraq

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

1,198,940 (displacement in central and northern Iraq since January 2014) (2021)

note

note: estimate revised to reflect the reduction of statelessness in line with Law 26 of 2006, which allows stateless persons to apply for nationality in certain circumstances; more accurate studies of statelessness in Iraq are pending (2015)

refugees (country of origin)

15,169 (Turkey), 7,868 (West Bank and Gaza Strip), 5,061 (Iran) (2020); 250,419 (Syria) (2021)

stateless persons

47,253 (2020); 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 2,006 Iraqi Nationality Law, but others lack the documentation to prove their Iraqi origins; some Palestinian refugees persecuted by the SADDAM regime remain stateless

Terrorist group(s)

Ansar al-Islam; Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Jaysh Rijal al-Tariq al-Naqshabandi; Kata'ib Hizballah; Kurdistan Workers' Party

note

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

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

190.06 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

17.44 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

57.73 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 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

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

Food insecurity

severe localized food insecurity

due to civil conflict, low oil prices, and economic slowdown - the 2021 Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) for Iraq identified 4.1 million people in need, of which 2.4 million 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 (2021)

Land use

agricultural land

18.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 8.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 9.2% (2018 est.)

forest

1.9% (2018 est.)

other

80% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Arabian Aquifer System

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

intermediate (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

note

note: widespread ongoing transmission of a respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is occurring throughout Iraq; as of 6 October 2021, Iraq has reported a total of 2,014,104 cases of COVID-19 or 5,007.41 cumulative cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population with 55.74 cumulative deaths per 100,000 population; as of 26 September 2021, 11.35% of the population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine

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 Arabnote – [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)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

89.86 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

35.27 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

2.05 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

1.23 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.91% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

71.1% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

13.14 million tons (2015 est.)