Ministry of Planning said Iraq has recorded declines in both poverty and unemployment rates in recent years, crediting government policies and increased cooperation with the private sector for the improvement.
Ministry spokesman Abd al-Zahra al-Hindawi told state media that the national poverty rate fell from 22% to 17%, while unemployment declined from 16% to 13%.
Al-Hindawi added that the private sector is expected to play a larger role in Iraq’s economic strategy under the country’s five-year National Development Plan, accounting for approximately 35% of total investment. He said this represents nearly IQD 84 trillion, or about $65 billion, in planned investment activity.
According to the ministry, a scientific conference was recently organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research with participation from university presidents, faculty deans, academics, experts, and representatives from the private sector.
The conference focused on identifying the underlying causes of unemployment and proposing practical solutions. Al-Hindawi said understanding the causes of unemployment “represents half the solution,” emphasizing the need for research-based policy responses.
He noted that the recommendations and findings from the conference will be submitted to the incoming Iraqi government for implementation through administrative policies and field-level programs.
Al-Hindawi stressed that the private sector will remain central to Iraq’s strategy for reducing unemployment and limiting poverty, particularly through job creation and investment expansion outside the public sector.
The comments come as Iraq continues efforts to diversify its economy beyond oil revenues while facing ongoing fiscal pressures, labor market challenges, and calls for broader economic reform.
