Shafaq News – Baghdad

The structure of the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) assets has shifted significantly between 2022 and 2025, according to a report published on Wednesday by the Iraq Future Foundation.

The study, released by the group’s head Manar al-Obaidi, showed that gold reserves doubled to 12.6% of total assets, up from 6% three years ago, reflecting a turn toward stronger hard-asset backing.

Securities remain the largest single category at 27%, though markedly lower than the 37% recorded in 2022. Deposits with other banks also rose slightly, reaching 26% from 24.7%.

By contrast, receivables from the Finance Ministry slipped to 24.9% from 26.7%, still accounting for nearly a quarter of the balance sheet. Loans to small and medium-sized businesses expanded to 7% from 5%, signaling a modest increase in development lending.

Foreign investments and deposits continue to dominate at 53% of total assets, though down sharply from 62% in 2022 as gold’s share increased.

Overall, loans and receivables now make up about 32% of the CBI's portfolio, underscoring its reliance on repayments, particularly from the Finance Ministry.