Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq released more than 435 billion dinars (about $332.1M) in October social assistance to over 2.036 million families, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs said on Monday.

Social Protection Authority chief Ahmed Al-Moussawi said more than 1.476 million male-headed households would receive over 352 billion dinars (around $268.7M), while more than 559,000 female-headed households would receive over 83 billion dinars ($63.4M). The payments cover Baghdad and other federal provinces but exclude Iraq’s Kurdistan Region (KRI).

Iraq’s Social Safety Net reaches more than 7.6 million people, according to the World Food Programme. Iraq’s latest nationwide household survey put the poverty rate at 17.5% in 2024, down from 20.05% in 2018, according to the Ministry of Planning.