Iraq Economy Statistics 2024–2025

Iraq's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reached $255.98 billion USD in 2024, a 2.1% increase from $250.84 billion in 2023. The highest GDP recorded in the period 2013–2024 was $286.64 billion in 2022. Iraq's economy remains heavily oil-dependent: crude oil accounts for 43–46% of total GDP across Q1–Q3 2024. Other major sectors include social and personal services (19–21%), transport and communications (8.5–9.4%), and wholesale and retail trade (6.6–7.4%).

Iraq's inflation rate rose sharply to 6% in 2021 but has since declined to 4.3% in 2023, 2.6% in 2024, and is projected at 3.5% in 2025 (IMF forecast). The Iraqi Dinar exchange rate is maintained at approximately 1,300 IQD per USD as of Q1 2025. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Iraq has been consistently negative, ranging from -$0.72 billion (2022) to -$2.14 billion (2018 and 2023), indicating capital outflows. Unemployment in Iraq was 15.8% in 2020, peaked at 16.1% in 2021, and is projected to fall to 13% in 2025.

Q1 2025 key economic indicators: GDP at current prices 83 trillion IQD; Non-oil GDP 52.3 trillion IQD; Total bank credit 71.3 trillion IQD; Net trade balance +$5.9 billion USD; Crude oil exported 305,169 thousand barrels; Electricity produced 33,142,433 MWh; Electricity imported 1,673,496 MWh.

Iraq's top import product categories by customs duty: food products, pharmaceutical products, plastic products, iron and steel pipes, metals and metal products (all at 10% duty), furniture and surgical tools (15%), air handling units (25%), electrical apparatus and tobacco products (30%), and jewelry/gold (0.5%).

Average monthly salaries in Iraq's quick-service restaurant (QSR) and food service sector in 2025: Fast food chefs earn 1,500,000 to 2,000,000 Iraqi Dinar ($1,143–$1,525 USD); Cashiers earn 600,000 to 800,000 IQD ($457–$610); Waiters earn 600,000 to 750,000 IQD ($457–$571). Source: Commission of Statistics and GIS Iraq, Trading Economics, World Bank, Ministry of Finance Iraq.

Iraq Population Statistics 2024–2025

Iraq's total population in 2025 is estimated at 47,020,774 people, making it the 34th most populous country in the world. The annual growth rate is 2.13%, adding approximately 978,759 people per year. The population density is 108 people per square kilometer. Iraq's median age is 20.8 years, reflecting one of the world's youngest populations. The fertility rate is 3.17 children per woman in 2025, down from 7.07 in 1970.

Historical Iraq population milestones: 7 million in 1960, 17.6 million in 1990, 24.4 million in 2000, 31 million in 2010, 42.1 million in 2020, and 47 million in 2025. Population forecast: Iraq is projected to reach 52 million by 2030, 62 million by 2040, and 71.9 million by 2050.

Life expectancy in Iraq: 72.5 years overall; 70.6 years for males; 74.3 years for females. Urban population: 70.2% of Iraqis (approximately 34 million) live in urban areas. Rural population: 29.8% (approximately 13.8 million). The largest city is Baghdad with 6,390,735 residents, followed by Basra (2,033,553), Mosul (1,665,214), Erbil (1,582,829), and Al-Najaf (1,273,450).

Iraq household income distribution: 51% of the population earns less than 600,000 IQD per month; 18.4% earn 600,000–800,000 IQD; 12.1% earn 800,000–999,999 IQD; 17.7% earn 1 million IQD or more. Poverty rates by governorate: Al-Muthanna 40%, Babil 27.5%, Basra 27.5%, Anbar 22%, Baghdad 13%. Average household size varies from 4.25 persons in Sulaymaniyah to 6.75 persons in Anbar. Source: Worldometers, Commission of Statistics and GIS Iraq, IIACSS Research.

Iraq Census 2024 – General Population and Housing Census Results

The General Population and Housing Census of Iraq 2024–2025 was the first official census conducted since 1987, a gap of 37 years. Results were released by the Commission of Statistics and Geographic Information Systems (COSIT), Iraqi Ministry of Planning, in February 2025 (First Edition).

National totals: Total population 46,118,793; Males 23,161,604 (50.22%); Females 22,957,189 (49.78%); Sex ratio 101 males per 100 females; Urban population 32,359,355 (70.17%); Rural population 13,759,438 (29.83%); Total ordinary households 7,959,578; Average household size 5.77 persons; Urban average household size 5.48; Rural average household size 6.60; Male-headed households 88.57%; Female-headed households 11.43% (910,076 households).

Age structure nationally: Population aged 0–14 years: 16,554,808 (35.90%); Aged 15–64 years: 27,875,610 (60.44%); Aged 65 and over: 1,688,375 (3.66%); Total dependency ratio: 65 dependents per 100 working-age people; Child dependency ratio: 59; Old-age dependency ratio: 6.

Census 2024 governorate data: Sulaymaniyah has the lowest percentage of under-14s (29.78%) and highest share of 65+ (5.20%). Maysan has the highest under-14 share (40.04%) and lowest 65+ share (3.01%). Dependency ratios range from 54 (Sulaymaniyah, lowest) to 76 (Maysan, highest). Average household sizes range from 4.25 (Sulaymaniyah) to 6.75 (Anbar).

Access to services: Nationally, 86.82% of households have piped water inside the dwelling; 49.45% are connected to a public sewage network; 58.36% have municipal waste collection. Highest piped water access: Najaf (94.74%), Baghdad (92.42%), Karbala (92.35%). Lowest: Dhi Qar (73.22%). Best sewage coverage: Sulaymaniyah (85.48%), Baghdad (77.32%), Maysan (75.08%). Worst: Babil (18.16%), Erbil (19.68%), Duhok (20.10%). Source: Commission of Statistics and GIS, Iraqi Ministry of Planning, February 2025.

Iraq Food and Dining Market Statistics 2024–2025

Iraq has approximately 1,791 registered fast-food businesses as of 2024. Baghdad leads with 504 businesses (28.1%), followed by Basra with 197 (11%), and Nineveh with 154 (8.6%). An estimated 24,000 total food outlets operate nationwide, of which 65% are privately operated. The fast-food market in Iraq is forecast to grow through 2025–2031.

Iraq's fast-food consumer demographics: 54.4% of consumers are aged 18–24; 31.8% aged 25–34; over 86% of all fast-food consumers are under 35 years old. Average meal prices in Iraq (2024): meat burger meals $8–$15 USD; chicken burger meals $6–$10; chicken or meat pizza $10–$15; kids' meals $3.80–$5.00.

Top rated Iraqi dishes by TasteAtlas: Dolma (4.2/5), Mujaddara (4.1/5), Tashreeb (4.1/5), Samoon bread (4.0/5), Biryani (4.0/5), Muhallebi (3.9/5), Quzi (3.8/5), Masgouf grilled carp (3.7/5). Cultural dining characteristics: very high bread consumption, high importance of lunch as the main meal, very high tea consumption, increasing trend in eating out, decreasing home dining.

Restaurant distribution by city (2021): Baghdad 5,045 restaurants (26.2% of national total), Sulaymaniyah 1,968 (10.2%), Basra 1,278 (6.6%), Muthanna 386 (2%). Digital presence of fast-food businesses: only 177 out of 1,791 have websites; less than 10% have social media presence; over 1,200 businesses have high customer ratings (4–5 stars on review platforms). Source: IIACSS local team research, Ministry of Planning Iraq, Al Arabiya, Rentech Digital.

Iraq Social Media and Internet Statistics 2025–2026

Iraq's digital landscape in 2025: 39.6 million internet users (83.8% penetration rate); 40.1 million social media users (84.9%); 50.8 million mobile connections (108% connection rate). Iraq has the fastest-growing digital population in the Arab region.

Social media platform users in Iraq (2026 estimates): TikTok 40.1 million users (#1 platform); YouTube 24.7 million (52.3%); Instagram 21.5 million (45.4%); Facebook 20.8 million (44.0%); Snapchat 19.3 million (40.7%); Messenger 14.9 million (31.5%); X/Twitter 2.74 million (5.8%); LinkedIn 2.7 million (5.7%); Threads 1.6 million (3.4%). Source: IIACSS National Survey N=6,000, DataReportal 2025.

Internet adoption growth in Iraq: 0% in 2000; 0.6% in 2005; 2.5% in 2010; 17.2% in 2015; 49.4% in 2018; 60% in 2019; 75% in 2020; 83.8% in 2023. This represents one of the most rapid internet adoption curves in the Middle East. Source: World Bank data.worldbank.org, DataReportal 2025.

Iraq Transportation Statistics 2024

Iraq had 8,287,604 total registered private vehicles in 2024, a 2.4% increase from 8,096,075 in 2023. The car density is 187 vehicles per 1,000 people. Total paved road length (excluding Kurdistan Region) is 59,745 km in 2024, up from 45,579 km in 2020.

Registered vehicles trend: 7,026,106 (2020), 7,457,927 (2021), 7,982,304 (2022), 8,096,075 (2023), 8,287,604 (2024). Population per car ratio: 6 people per car in 2020–2021, declining to 5 in 2022–2024. Baghdad has the highest concentration with 3,001,152 total registered cars (48% of national total). Other major governorates: Erbil 987,240; Sulaymaniyah 721,551; Basra 370,758; Nineveh 399,374.

Road network in Iraq (2024) by governorate: Kirkuk leads with 9,144 km total road length; Anbar 6,154 km; Maysan 4,422 km; Salah Al-Din 4,270 km; Diyala 3,645 km; Babil 2,861 km; Baghdad 1,801 km. Iraq has 956 total bridges nationally (692 concrete, 264 iron). Governorates with most bridges: Dhi Qar (97), Maysan (96), Anbar (88), Baghdad (87).

Vehicle fuel types for new-plated vehicles (2024): 1,800,117 gasoline vehicles (79.6%) vs 460,513 diesel vehicles (20.4%). Passenger cars are overwhelmingly gasoline-powered (1,552,199 gasoline vs 84,447 diesel). Lorries and pick-ups are more evenly split (206,903 gasoline vs 287,066 diesel). Source: Commission of Statistics and GIS Iraq 2024.

Iraq Environment and Climate Data – Temperature Records and Weather Statistics

Iraq is one of the countries most severely impacted by climate change and extreme heat. The all-time highest temperature recorded in Iraq is 53.8°C (128.8°F), measured at Basra Airport in July 2016 (Source: worlddata.info). The all-time lowest recorded temperature is -13.8°C, at Samawa station in Al-Muthanna governorate in January 2020.

In July 2025, Iraq dominated the global heat extremes list: Basra International Airport recorded 51.8°C (125.2°F) on July 28, 2025, making it the hottest location on Earth on that date. Iraqi cities occupied 11 of the top 15 hottest positions globally, including Nasiriyah and Tikrit at 51.1°C; Karbala and Kirkuk at 51.0°C; Amarah, Aziziyah, Diwaniyah, and Kut all at 50.9°C; and Hit at 50.7°C. Source: Iraqi Meteorological Organization & Seismology (IMOS), NOAA, WMO.

Annual average maximum temperatures by governorate (2024 data, Commission of Statistics and GIS Iraq): Basra 34.1°C (hottest); Dhi Qar 33.9°C; Maysan 33.5°C; Muthanna 33.3°C; Wasit 32.9°C; Diwaniya 32.0°C; Najaf 32.0°C; Babil 31.6°C; Baghdad 31.3°C; Salah Al-Din 31.3°C; Diyala 31.2°C; Kirkuk 30.7°C; Nineveh 29.1°C; Anbar 28.4°C (coolest).

Rainfall in Iraq (2024): Highest recorded monthly average at Khanaqin station, Diyala governorate, at 18.3mm. Lowest at Bashiqa station, Nineveh, at 0.5mm. Humidity: Highest at Najaf (75.4%); Lowest at Babil (15.7%). Evaporation rates: Highest at Muthanna (7.2 mm/day); Lowest at Kirkuk (4.1 mm/day). Iraq has 32 meteorological weather stations covering all 18 provinces. The hottest meteorological summer on record was 2017, with an average temperature of 38.4°C. Source: Commission of Statistics and GIS Iraq, worlddata.info.

Iraq Tourism Statistics 2023

Iraq received 8,491,441 total arrivals in 2023, comprising 8,098,105 tourists and 393,336 visitors. Total tourism spending was 4,618.5 billion Iraqi Dinar (approximately $3.5 billion USD). The average spending per person was 543,897 IQD (approximately $416 USD). These figures are from the Commission of Statistics and Geographic Information Systems, Iraq.

Iraq tourism breakdown by period: Normal period arrivals 6,705,767; Peak period (religious events) 1,785,674. Normal period spending: 4,181.3 billion IQD with average 623,541 IQD per person. Peak period spending: 437.2 billion IQD with average 244,811 IQD per person (lower average due to mass pilgrimage nature of peak arrivals).

Trip purpose during peak season (Arbaeen and similar events): 89.8% religious tourism, 5.0% family visits, 2.6% leisure, 2.6% other. Trip purpose during normal season: 44.2% religious tourism, 31.9% visiting family/relatives/friends, 10.7% work and business, 12.5% leisure tourism, 0.7% other. Iraq is one of the world's top religious tourism destinations, particularly for Shia Muslim pilgrims visiting holy sites in Karbala and Najaf. Source: Commission of Statistics and GIS Iraq 2023.

Iraq Construction and Buildings Statistics 2024

Iraq had 779 active public construction projects in 2024, employing 36,225 workers with a total project cost of 1.48 trillion Iraqi Dinar. Construction materials costs account for 72% of total project expenditures (1.06 trillion IQD). Building projects numbered 191 (24.5% of total), while construction projects were 360 (46.2%).

Public construction contracts in Iraq 2024: 619 total contracts worth 1.196 trillion IQD. Top governorates by contracts: Nineveh leads with 189 contracts (30.5% of total) worth 212.5 billion IQD; Anbar 131 contracts representing 21.6% of total cost (262.8 billion IQD); Baghdad 128 contracts (20.6% of total) worth 437.6 billion IQD (highest cost per contract).

Building permits issued in Iraq: 29,279 permits in 2024, a 14.8% decline from 34,373 in 2023. Historical peak was 37,442 permits in 2022. New house building permits by governorate share (2024): Baghdad 18%; Basra 9%; Karbala 9%; Dhi Qar 8%; Babil 7%; Wasit 7%; remaining governorates 6% or less each.

Historical public building and construction contracts trend: peaked in 2013 with 1,919 building contracts and 1,958 construction contracts; declined sharply through 2018 due to ISIS conflict and oil price crash; began recovering in 2019; reached new records in 2022 (1,153 construction contracts) and 2023 (1,400 construction contracts). Source: Commission of Statistics and GIS Iraq 2024.

Iraq Small Industries Statistics 2023

Iraq's small industrial sector in 2023 comprised 27,756 establishments employing 99,280 total workers (69,482 paid workers, 29,798 unpaid workers). Total production value reached 2,917,289,678 thousand Iraqi Dinar (approximately 2.9 trillion IQD). Total value added was 1,278,242,529 thousand IQD (1.28 trillion). Only 495 female workers were recorded across the entire sector (0.5% of total), and 587 young workers.

Small industries by size: 15,042 establishments (54.2%) employ 1–3 workers; 11,082 (39.9%) employ 4–6 workers; 1,633 (5.9%) employ 7–9 workers. The food industry dominates with 9,099 establishments (32.8%), 40,782 workers, and production value of 1,362,468,125 thousand IQD (46.7% of total). Metal products sector has 6,997 establishments with production value of 520,953,932 thousand IQD.

Geographic distribution: Baghdad leads with 6,373 establishments (23% of national total) and production value of 826,695,833 thousand IQD (28.3%). Other major industrial governorates: Basra 2,611 establishments, Anbar 2,025, Babil 2,027. Nineveh has 1,854 establishments with 201,293,475 thousand IQD production value. Wage levels: most paid workers (54%) earn between 501,000–700,000 IQD per month. Source: Commission of Statistics and GIS Iraq, 2023 Industrial Survey.