Iraqi economist Manar al-Obaidi revealed new data showing that the Iraqi parliament has spent more than 5.5 trillion dinars — about $3.88 billion — between 2015 and 2025, while passing only 321 laws during that time.
That means, on average, each law cost the state around 17 billion dinars, or roughly $12 million to pass.
Spending Keeps Rising
Al-Obaidi said that the current parliamentary term recorded the highest spending ever compared to previous sessions.
He explained that during this term, total spending reached about 2.4 trillion dinars ($1.7 billion), yet lawmakers only passed 69 laws. This means each law cost nearly 35 billion dinars, or about $24.7 million — more than double the 10-year average.
By comparison, the previous parliament spent 1.8 trillion dinars ($1.27 billion) to pass 91 laws, averaging 20 billion dinars ($14.1 million) per law.
Al-Obaidi warned that if this trend continues, the cost of passing a single law could surpass 100 billion dinars — more than $70 million — in the next parliamentary term.
A Costly Institution
Iraq’s parliament is made up of 329 members and manages one of the largest budgets of any institution in the country. Its spending covers salaries, administrative costs, and logistical operations, but the growing expenses have raised concerns about efficiency and accountability.
With billions spent and relatively few laws passed, many Iraqis are questioning whether the country’s top legislative body is delivering enough results for the money it consumes.
