Iraq records slight decline in poverty rate
Shafaq News – Baghdad (Updated at 14:06)
Iraqi Minister of Planning Mohammed Tamim revealed a modest drop in the national poverty rate of almost 1%.
Speaking at a press conference to announce the release of the National Multidimensional Poverty Index Report, Tamim said the report was developed in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and is based on the findings of the national household social survey, which served as a key foundation for constructing Iraq’s poverty index.
“The poverty rate in the country declined from 11.3% to 10.8% and continues to decrease gradually,” he noted.
أطلقت #الحكومة_العراقية، بالشراكة مع برنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي ومبادرة أكسفورد للفقر والتنمية البشرية، رسمياً التقرير التحليلي لمؤشر الفقر متعدد الأبعاد في #العراق، مُمثلةً بذلك خطوةً كبيرةً إلى الأمام في كيفية فهم البلاد للفقر ومعالجته.(1/2) pic.twitter.com/C2DjpnXrJC
— UNDP Iraq (@undpiniraq) July 30, 2025
The minister also announced plans to launch a gender-specific Multidimensional Poverty Index focused on women, “making Iraq among the first countries in the world to issue a national-level report of this kind.”
In turn, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Sascha Graumann acknowledged Iraq’s progress but emphasized the need to address persistent deprivation in provinces like al-Muthanna, Maysan, and Saladin, despite improvements in areas such as Baghdad and Kirkuk.
“Now that material poverty is beginning to decline, it is time to ensure that no region, woman, or community in Iraq is left behind,” Graumann stressed.
A separate index focusing on child poverty is also being developed, based on data from the upcoming general census.
