Facebook ads dominate Iraq’s 2025 election spending
Shafaq News – Baghdad
More than 5 billion Iraqi dinars (about $3.8 million) were spent on Facebook advertising during Iraq’s 2025 parliamentary elections—a fivefold increase from the 1 billion IQD ($763,000) recorded in the 2021 vote, according to Digital Iraq Network (DIN).
Baghdad recorded the highest spending with over 1.5 billion IQD (~$1.15 million) poured into party pages, candidate accounts, and affiliated media outlets. Nineveh followed with nearly 500 million IQD (~$382,000).
Al-Sulaymaniyah and Erbil each logged around 340 million IQD (~$260,000), while Dhi Qar placed fifth at 320 million IQD (~$244,000). Halabja registered the lowest spending at 16 million IQD (~$12,000).
Read more: Iraq’s 2025 Elections: Old lines, new margins
DIN said political advertising continued even during the mandatory election silence period, documenting more than 160 million IQD (~$122,000) spent the day before voting—mostly through reactivated posts used to preserve online visibility.
The surge followed a significant rise in Iraq’s social-media landscape. The Digital Media Center (DMC) reported 34.3 million social-media users in 2024, equal to 73.8% of the population and up from 31.95 million the year before. Facebook alone now counts 20.1 million users in Iraq, an increase of about 1.1 million in twelve months.
The expansion has been driven by improved nationwide connectivity. According to the Ministry of Communications, internet penetration reached 82.9% by the end of 2024—nearly double the level recorded in 2019.
