Written by

Arivan

This data comes from the latest socioeconomic survey, jointly conducted by the Iraqi Planning Ministry and the KRG Planning Ministry. While the Kurdistan Region—and Northern Iraq more broadly—have the lowest poverty rates in the country, long-term trends show a decline in poverty across Iraq, whereas in the Kurdistan Region, poverty rates are rising.

As we highlighted in a previous report, the study has significant methodological flaws. It applies a uniform poverty threshold across Iraq without adjusting for the cost of living and purchasing power in each province—an essential contextual factor for understanding real poverty. Despite these limitations, the data remains valuable for assessing the overall trajectory and sentiment surrounding poverty rates in Iraq.

Here are the raw numbers:

Poverty rates by governorates in Iraq

Interactive Poverty Rates in Iraq (2007 - 2024)

Explore evolving poverty trends across Iraqi governorates. Use the dropdown to view individual trends, review the overall national trend, compare the national rate with the weighted Kurdistan Region average (Erbil, Sulaimani, and Duhok), and finally compare trends across select provinces.

Overall National Poverty Trend

Comparative Analysis: National vs. Kurdistan Region Average

The chart below compares the overall national poverty rate with the population-weighted average for the Kurdistan Region provinces (Erbil, Sulaimani, and Duhok).

Comparative Trend: Select Provinces

This chart displays poverty trends across select provinces: Erbil, Sulaimani, Duhok, Kirkuk, Nineveh, Baghdad, Basra, and Najaf. Each dot shows the data for that specific province and year.

Poverty Rate in 2024 by Province Ranking

This horizontal bar chart shows the 2024 poverty rates for all provinces in Iraq. Kurdistan Region provinces (Erbil, Sulaimani, Duhok) are highlighted in gold (#C4A962) while the rest appear in navy (#223760).

Written by

Arivan