Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan · Upper middle income
Iraq: the economy in numbers
Per person: $5,410, or $14,267 at purchasing power parity. Population: 47 million (2025).
$254B−2.2%real GDP growth, 2025
GDP in 2025, current US dollars: #54 of 204 economies. IMF forecast for 2026: −16.0%.
GDP per capita
$5,410
2025 · #130 of 204
GDP per capita, PPP
$14,267
2025 · #123 of 197
Inflation
0.3%
2025 · IMF forecast 2026: 3.5%
Government debt
52.8%
2025 · % of GDP, general government
Population
47M
2025 · #34 of 217
Unemployment
15.5%
2025 · ILO estimate
Life expectancy
72.4 years
2024
GDP
Adjusted for US inflation, in 2025 dollars: $16.7 billion in 1960, $254 billion in 2025.
GDP per capita
In 2025 dollars: $2,385 per person in 1960, $5,410 in 2025.
GDP per capitaGDP per capita, PPP (international $)
Real GDP growth
Average over 2016–2025: 1.2% a year. Years of falling GDP since 1961: 13 of 65.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Inflation
Consumer prices rose 7.87 times from 2000 to 2025. Highest annual inflation: 448.5% in 1994. Years with inflation above 100%: 4. The chart cuts the scale at 100%; “Full scale” shows everything.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Government debt, % of GDP
Highest since 2004: 344.3% of GDP in 2004. IMF forecast for 2031: 73.2%.
General government (IMF)Central government only (World Bank)
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Population
1960: 7.02 million · 2025: 47 million.
Unemployment rate
1991: 8.6% · 2025: 15.5%.
Life expectancy at birth
1960: 51.5 years · 2024: 72.4 years.
Exports of goods and services
1970: 37.3% · 2024: 39.8%.
Data by year
Show the year-by-year table
| Year | GDP | GDP per capita | Per capita, PPP | Real growth | Inflation | Gov. debt, % GDP | Population | Unemployment | Life expectancy | Exports, % GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2031 | 3.5%f | 3.8%f | 73.2%f | |||||||
| 2030 | 3.4%f | 3.6%f | 68.7%f | |||||||
| 2029 | 3.4%f | 3.2%f | 65.3%f | |||||||
| 2028 | 6.6%f | 2.7%f | 62.8%f | |||||||
| 2027 | 19.0%f | 3.0%f | 65.2%f | |||||||
| 2026 | −16.0%f | 3.5%f | 71.1%f | |||||||
| 2025 | $254B | $5,410 | $14,267 | −2.2% | 0.3% | 52.8% | 47M | 15.5% | ||
| 2024 | $280B | $6,074 | $14,485 | −1.5% | 2.6% | 45.7% | 46M | 15.3% | 72.4 | 39.8% |
| 2023 | $269B | $5,965 | $14,665 | 0.5% | 4.4% | 42.1% | 45.1M | 15.2% | 72.3 | 39.6% |
| 2022 | $287B | $6,521 | $14,389 | 8.0% | 5.0% | 39.0% | 44.1M | 15.4% | 72.0 | 44.5% |
| 2021 | $210B | $4,868 | $12,732 | 1.5% | 6.0% | 54.7% | 43.1M | 16.2% | 70.7 | 37.3% |
| 2020 | $181B | $4,295 | $10,574 | −12.0% | 0.6% | 72.5% | 42.1M | 15.8% | 69.7 | 27.8% |
| 2019 | $234B | $5,672 | $12,249 | 5.5% | −0.2% | 41.7% | 41.2M | 14.1% | 71.2 | 38.1% |
| 2018 | $227B | $5,647 | $12,034 | 2.6% | 0.4% | 44.4% | 40.3M | 13.5% | 71.1 | 40.8% |
| 2017 | $187B | $4,759 | $10,192 | −1.8% | 0.2% | 55.9% | 39.3M | 13.0% | 69.8 | 33.9% |
| 2016 | $167B | $4,334 | $9,079 | 13.8% | 0.6% | 60.3% | 38.5M | 10.8% | 68.7 | 28.1% |
| 2015 | $167B | $4,440 | $9,334 | 2.6% | 1.4% | 48.3% | 37.6M | 10.9% | 70.0 | 34.5% |
| 2014 | $228B | $6,249 | $13,168 | 2.3% | 2.2% | 27.6% | 36.6M | 10.6% | 69.7 | 38.9% |
| 2013 | $235B | $6,650 | $14,669 | 7.6% | 1.9% | 32.0% | 35.3M | 9.2% | 69.0 | 39.7% |
| 2012 | $218B | $6,478 | $14,402 | 13.9% | 6.1% | 34.8% | 33.7M | 8.0% | 68.8 | 44.5% |
| 2011 | $186B | $5,776 | $12,912 | 7.5% | 5.6% | 40.7% | 32.2M | 8.2% | 68.4 | 44.4% |
| 2010 | $139B | $4,462 | $12,186 | 6.4% | 2.4% | 53.5% | 31M | 8.3% | 68.1 | 39.4% |
| 2009 | $112B | $3,715 | $11,687 | 3.4% | 6.9% | 87.4% | 30.1M | 8.4% | 67.8 | 39.4% |
| 2008 | $132B | $4,543 | $11,657 | 8.2% | 12.7% | 74.2% | 29M | 8.5% | 66.5 | 50.3% |
| 2007 | $88.8B | $3,129 | $10,783 | 1.9% | −10.1% | 117.1% | 28.4M | 8.6% | 64.4 | 45.9% |
| 2006 | $65.1B | $2,277 | $10,223 | 5.6% | 53.2% | 143.2% | 28.6M | 8.4% | 64.0 | 51.0% |
| 2005 | $50.1B | $1,762 | $9,457 | 1.7% | 37.0% | 227.3% | 28.4M | 8.6% | 64.9 | 54.3% |
| 2004 | $36.6B | $1,328 | $9,290 | 53.4% | 27.0% | 344.3% | 27.6M | 8.7% | 64.6 | 56.3% |
| 2003 | $21.9B | $818 | $6,068 | −36.7% | 33.6% | 26.8M | 9.0% | 64.8 | 77.4% | |
| 2002 | $32.9B | $1,266 | $9,682 | −8.2% | 19.3% | 26M | 8.6% | 65.7 | 70.6% | |
| 2001 | $36.2B | $1,436 | $10,720 | 1.8% | 16.4% | 25.2M | 8.2% | 65.3 | 65.3% | |
| 2000 | $48.4B | $1,980 | $10,628 | 16.8% | 5.0% | 24.4M | 8.0% | 64.9 | 75.7% | |
| 1999 | $36.9B | $1,560 | $9,194 | 17.6% | 12.6% | 23.6M | 8.0% | 64.5 | 77.6% | |
| 1998 | $20.6B | $901 | $7,964 | 35.0% | 14.8% | 22.9M | 8.1% | 64.4 | 77.9% | |
| 1997 | $20.8B | $936 | $6,020 | 21.2% | 23.1% | 22.2M | 8.3% | 64.2 | 63.8% | |
| 1996 | $10.4B | $485 | $5,034 | 11.0% | −16.1% | 21.5M | 8.5% | 64.6 | 0.0% | |
| 1995 | $12.9B | $619 | $4,598 | 2.1% | 387.3% | 20.8M | 8.4% | 64.8 | 0.0% | |
| 1994 | $3.99B | $198 | 3.9% | 448.5% | 20.1M | 8.2% | 65.0 | 0.0% | ||
| 1993 | $1.03B | $54 | 30.3% | 207.7% | 19.2M | 8.4% | 65.3 | 0.1% | ||
| 1992 | $554M | $30 | 32.6% | 83.6% | 18.3M | 8.3% | 65.3 | 0.6% | ||
| 1991 | $408M | $23 | −64.0% | 181.0% | 17.8M | 8.6% | 61.3 | 1.3% | ||
| 1990 | $180B | $10,261 | 57.8% | 17.6M | 57.6 | 7.7% | ||||
| 1989 | $65.8B | $3,791 | −3.1% | 17.4M | 57.5 | 22.0% | ||||
| 1988 | $62.7B | $3,707 | −0.0% | 16.9M | 56.7 | 19.7% | ||||
| 1987 | $56.8B | $3,436 | 9.3% | 16.5M | 60.3 | 23.2% | ||||
| 1986 | $47.3B | $2,940 | 4.6% | 16.1M | 60.0 | 16.5% | ||||
| 1985 | $48.4B | $3,088 | 1.5% | 15.7M | 59.8 | 25.1% | ||||
| 1984 | $46.9B | $3,066 | −1.5% | 15.3M | 59.5 | 25.7% | ||||
| 1983 | $40.7B | $2,743 | −13.1% | 14.8M | 59.3 | 24.6% | ||||
| 1982 | $42.4B | $2,942 | 3.4% | 14.4M | 59.0 | 26.4% | ||||
| 1981 | $37.8B | $2,700 | −0.7% | 14M | 58.7 | 31.6% | ||||
| 1980 | $52.6B | $3,868 | 24.8% | 13.6M | 60.9 | 63.5% | ||||
| 1979 | $37.8B | $2,871 | 20.9% | 13.2M | 64.4 | 62.5% | ||||
| 1978 | $23.8B | $1,863 | 17.1% | 4.6% | 12.8M | 64.2 | 56.7% | |||
| 1977 | $19.8B | $1,609 | 1.9% | 9.2% | 12.3M | 63.9 | 56.2% | |||
| 1976 | $17.8B | $1,489 | 17.2% | 12.8% | 11.9M | 63.6 | 57.4% | |||
| 1975 | $13.5B | $1,166 | 12.5% | 9.5% | 11.5M | 61.4 | 52.3% | |||
| 1974 | $11.5B | $1,031 | 16.1% | 7.7% | 11.2M | 61.0 | 61.0% | |||
| 1973 | $5.13B | $476 | 4.4% | 4.9% | 10.8M | 62.3 | 46.3% | |||
| 1972 | $4.11B | $394 | 3.7% | 5.2% | 10.4M | 61.8 | 36.9% | |||
| 1971 | $3.87B | $384 | 5.4% | 3.6% | 10.1M | 61.3 | 43.7% | |||
| 1970 | $3.28B | $337 | 4.5% | 4.4% | 9.74M | 60.5 | 37.3% | |||
| 1969 | $3.01B | $320 | 3.2% | 5.7% | 9.4M | 59.6 | ||||
| 1968 | $2.9B | $319 | 19.5% | 2.2% | 9.09M | 59.0 | ||||
| 1967 | $2.55B | $291 | −8.9% | 3.3% | 8.78M | 58.4 | ||||
| 1966 | $2.53B | $298 | 5.0% | 2.0% | 8.49M | 57.3 | ||||
| 1965 | $2.34B | $285 | 10.8% | −0.5% | 8.2M | 56.4 | ||||
| 1964 | $2.14B | $269 | 14.8% | −0.1% | 7.93M | 55.2 | ||||
| 1963 | $1.81B | $236 | 2.4% | 4.0% | 7.67M | 54.4 | ||||
| 1962 | $1.78B | $241 | 4.6% | 1.3% | 7.41M | 53.5 | ||||
| 1961 | $1.67B | $232 | 7.3% | 0.9% | 7.19M | 52.3 | ||||
| 1960 | $1.54B | $219 | 3.5% | 7.02M | 51.5 |
e: IMF estimate; f: IMF forecast.
Nearby economies in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Nearest by distance between capitals, with GDP per capita.
Afghanistan · Algeria · Bahrain · Djibouti · Egypt · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Jordan · Kuwait · Lebanon · Libya · Malta · Morocco · Oman · Pakistan · Qatar · Saudi Arabia · Syria · Tunisia · United Arab Emirates · West Bank and Gaza · Yemen
Rankings
GDP by country · GDP per capita · Real GDP growth · Inflation by country · Government debt to GDP · Stock market to GDP · Population by country · Unemployment by country
Data and methods
- GDP: gross domestic product in current US dollars, converted from the local currency at market exchange rates (World Bank); not adjusted for inflation.
- Purchasing power parity (PPP): GDP per person in international dollars, which buy the same basket of goods and services in every country. It compares living standards across countries in the same year; it is not adjusted for inflation over time.
- In 2025 dollars: the charts can remove US inflation (US consumer price index, annual average) so that dollar amounts from different years compare in today's money. Exchange rate swings still show.
- Growth and inflation: World Bank data (calendar years). Years the World Bank does not cover yet, and the estimates and forecasts, come from the IMF World Economic Outlook (October 2026): its forecasts start in 2026, and the years after a country's last actual year are IMF estimates.
- Government debt: gross debt of the general government (central, state and local government and social security funds) as a percentage of GDP, IMF. The World Bank's central government debt is narrower and covers fewer countries.
- Stock market capitalization: the end-of-year value of domestic companies listed on the country's exchanges (World Federation of Exchanges via the World Bank; before 2016, Standard & Poor's), as a percentage of GDP: the “Buffett indicator”. Investment funds are excluded, and so are companies listed only abroad; companies from elsewhere that list on an exchange count for its country (Hong Kong lists many mainland Chinese companies).
- Unemployment: ILO modeled estimates (share of the labor force); comparable across countries, but they may differ from national figures.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)