Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s car market contracted sharply in the first half of 2026, with sales falling 28.6% year-on-year to 59,264 vehicles, according to automotive market research platform Focus2move.

Kia remained the country’s largest-selling brand with a 28% market share, despite a 27.8% drop in sales. Toyota ranked second with 22% of the market as its sales fell 24%, while Nissan placed third after a 13.3% decline.

MG ranked fourth with an 8.9% share despite sales falling 31.6%, while Jetour climbed to fifth with 8.4% after recording 29.2% growth.

Among other leading brands, Hyundai recorded the steepest decline, with sales down 69.7%, while Great Wall grew 6.9%.

The electric vehicle segment suffered an even steeper contraction, with sales dropping 72%. BYD led the segment with a 48.3% share, followed by Toyota at 43.4%.

Sales grew strongly between 2021 and 2024, reaching 158,076 vehicles in 2024, before the market reversed course.