Iraq

Iraq (Arabic: العراق) is a country located in the central Middle East, with Baghdad as its capital. The 2005 constitution describes Iraq as a federal, independent state with a republican, representative, parliamentary system of governance. Administratively, the country is divided into 18 provinces (muḥāfaẓāt); three of these—Erbil, Duhok, and Sulaymaniyah—form the autonomous Kurdistan Region, which the constitution explicitly recognizes as a federal region retaining its pre-existing institutions.

In November 2024, Iraq conducted a general population and housing census, the first in nearly thirty years. Preliminary results, announced by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on 25 November 2024, showed that the population had reached 45,407,895, including foreigners and refugees; males accounted for 50.18% and females 49.82%. The census was carried out over two consecutive days (20–21 November 2024), with about 120,000 enumerators trained for the exercise.

Political system

Legislative authority rests with the Council of Representatives, which has 329 seats. The system operates through agreements among the country's major communities—Shia Arabs, Sunni Arabs, and Kurds—which often causes government formation to take months. For example, following the October 2021 election, it took a full year to form Sudani's coalition government, delaying important legislation and investment in energy projects.

Parliamentary elections were held on 11 November 2025, the sixth since 2003. The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) reported that nationwide turnout exceeded 56%, up from 43% in 2021; the Kurdistan provinces recorded the highest rates, surpassing 70% in Erbil and Duhok. The Prime Minister's new party, Reconstruction and Development (al-Iʿmar wal-Tanmiya), won the largest bloc with 46 seats, while the State of Law coalition led by Nouri al-Maliki came second. No single party secured a decisive majority.

Economy and oil

Iraq is OPEC's second-largest crude oil producer after Saudi Arabia, and was among the seven largest producers of petroleum liquids in the world in 2024. In 2023 it held 145 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, representing 17% of Middle Eastern reserves and 9% of global reserves. Most of these reserves are located in southern Basra, the Diyala area east of Baghdad, and Kirkuk in the northeast. According to IMF calculations, oil export revenue accounted for approximately 90% of total government revenue in 2023, leaving the country highly exposed to market price fluctuations.

The IMF's 2025 Article IV report showed that non-oil sector growth fell from 13.8% (2023) to about 2.5% (2024), due to reduced public investment, weak trade balances, and financing constraints that led to arrears accumulation. The IMF projected non-oil growth of 1% and real GDP growth of 3.1% for 2025, with inflation expected at 2.9%. The IMF emphasized broadening the overall economy, increasing women's labor force participation, and managing state-owned enterprises.

Water, climate, and displacement

Iraq depends on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, both of which originate outside the country's borders. The construction of upstream dams (particularly in Turkey and Iran) and worsening drought have reduced water flow. In summer 2025, the Minister of Water Resources suspended September agricultural plans, including wheat cultivation, due to water scarcity; UNESCO noted that summer and winter farming was banned on more than 4 million hectares in 2025. Basra faced rising salinity and pollution, leading to water-related illnesses, while residents of other cities protested over water shortages. Iraqi officials, as cited by regional media, said the country was receiving less than 40% of its share of the rivers.

The conflict with the Islamic State (ISIS) at its height displaced more than 6 million people. By 2024, approximately 4.8 million had returned to their places of origin, though returns alone do not necessarily indicate a lasting solution has been achieved. UNHCR noted that more than 1 million people remain internally displaced, with over 102,000 living in 20 camps located in the Kurdistan Region. Beyond the conflict, climate-induced displacement has also increased: as of September 2025, 31,001 families (186,006 people) were displaced due to climate causes, 63% of whom had moved to cities.