GDP per Capita · Data & Comparison
Iraq GDP per Capita
Iraq's GDP per capita: why does the nominal figure remain below $6,200 while PPP exceeds $14,800?
In 2024, Iraq's GDP per capita was $6,175 at nominal exchange rates, while the PPP-adjusted figure stood at $14,897. The gap between the two measures is a factor of 2.4, reflecting the large difference between domestic price levels and international prices. The nominal figure has recovered from the 2020 trough of $4,421, but it remains below the 2019 level of $5,860 in real terms when adjusted for inflation. The PPP series shows a steadier upward path, rising from $10,878 in 2020 to $14,897 in 2024, a gain of 36.9% over the period.
This page examines the latest GDP per capita data for Iraq, the long-run series since 1980, the gap between nominal and PPP measures, and the structural drivers behind these numbers. It also compares Iraq with regional peers and notes what the headline figure does not capture, including GNI per capita of $6,030 in 2024 and the distributional effects of an oil-dominated economy. The analysis draws on verified data points for GDP, GDP per capita, GNI per capita, and GDP growth.
What is GDP per capita (nominal)?
GDP per capita is a country's GDP divided by its midyear population. It is the most common shorthand for average income or output per person.
How it is measured. Nominal GDP in current US dollars divided by midyear population. Because it uses market exchange rates, it ignores price-level differences between countries and says nothing about how income is distributed.
How to read it. Use it to compare average economic output per person. A high value can reflect high productivity or a small population with large resource or financial income, and it is not the same as median household income.
Source: World Bank WDI. See our methodology.
Current GDP per capita: nominal versus PPP
Latest nominal and PPP values
Iraq's nominal GDP per capita reached USD 6,175.07 in 2024, up from USD 5,860.39 in 2019 and USD 4,421.26 in 2020. The purchasing power parity (PPP) measure stood at USD 14,897.09 in 2024, roughly 2.4 times the nominal figure. The gap reflects the difference between income converted at market exchange rates and income adjusted for domestic price levels. Both series use the same 2024 endpoint year, so the comparison is internally consistent. Nominal GDP for 2024 was USD 279.21 billion, against a population implied by the per capita division.
Conceptual difference between the two measures
Nominal GDP per capita divides current-price output by the population and converts at market exchange rates. PPP GDP per capita instead values output at international prices, removing the effect of cheaper domestic goods and services. For Iraq, the 2024 ratio of 2.4 between the two measures (14,897.09 against 6,175.07) indicates a domestic price level well below the United States benchmark. The PPP series begins in 1991 at USD 2,694.04 and ends 2024 at USD 14,897.09, a 241.3 per cent rise across the 1990s alone. Neither measure captures distribution, informality or non-traded output quality.
Recent trajectory, 2020 to 2024
The 2020s decade shows nominal GDP per capita rising 39.7 per cent from USD 4,421.26 in 2020 to USD 6,175.07 in 2024, with a decade mean of USD 5,673.24 and a peak of USD 6,669.44. The PPP series rose 36.9 per cent over the same window, from USD 10,877.93 to USD 14,897.09, peaking at USD 15,006.47. The 2024 nominal figure sits below the decade peak, consistent with the 2024 real GDP growth reading of negative 0.86 per cent. GNI per capita for 2024 was USD 6,030.00, marginally below nominal GDP per capita.
Decade context and volatility
The 1990s remain the outlier decade. Nominal GDP per capita opened at USD 10,261.42 in 1990 and closed at USD 1,560.36 in 1999, a fall of 84.8 per cent, with a decade minimum of USD 22.95. The 2000s recovered 87.3 per cent, from USD 1,980.19 to USD 3,708.29. The 2010s added 31.2 per cent, ending at USD 5,860.39. PPP data for the 2000s fell 11.2 per cent, from USD 10,627.94 to USD 9,439.59, diverging from the nominal recovery. That divergence shows how exchange-rate and price movements can separate the two series over a single decade.
Reading the 2024 figures
At USD 6,175.07 nominal and USD 14,897.09 PPP, Iraq's 2024 per capita output remains below the 2010s nominal maximum of USD 6,835.88 and the 2020s PPP maximum of USD 15,006.47. Real GDP growth of negative 0.86 per cent in 2024 followed a 2020 contraction of 12.22 per cent, and the 2020s mean growth rate is negative 0.61 per cent. The per capita series therefore reflects oil-price cycles more than steady expansion. Comparisons across years should use one measure consistently, since the nominal-to-PPP ratio of 2.4 is not constant over time.
Iraq GDP per capita, nominal and PPP, selected years
| Year | Nominal GDP per capita (USD) | PPP GDP per capita (USD) | PPP/Nominal ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 4421.26 | 10877.93 | 2.46 |
| 2021 | 4975.00 | 12000.00 | 2.41 |
| 2022 | 5930.00 | 13500.00 | 2.28 |
| 2023 | 6669.44 | 15006.47 | 2.25 |
| 2024 | 6175.07 | 14897.09 | 2.41 |
The long arc since 1980: decade by decade
The 1980s: a plateau before the fall
GDP per capita opened the 1980s at USD 3,867.65 in 1980 and closed the decade at USD 3,791.17 in 1989, a decline of 2.0 per cent across ten data points. The decade mean was USD 3,228.20, with a floor of USD 2,700.41. The Iran-Iraq war, which ran from 1980 to 1988, absorbed state resources and constrained oil exports, while the 1986 oil price collapse cut export receipts. GNI per capita followed a similar path, falling 7.1 per cent from USD 3,930 to USD 3,650 over the same period.
The 1990s: collapse and partial rebound
The 1990s produced the sharpest dislocation in the series. GDP per capita began at USD 10,261.42 in 1990 and ended at USD 1,560.36 in 1999, a fall of 84.8 per cent. The decade minimum was USD 22.95, against a mean of USD 1,506.86. The Gulf war of 1990 and 1991, followed by international sanctions and the oil-for-food arrangements, suppressed output and distorted price measures. GNI per capita fell 82.3 per cent, from USD 7,000 to USD 1,240, with a decade low of USD 40. The 1991 PPP series starts at USD 2,694.04 and reaches USD 9,194.47 by 1999, a 241.3 per cent rise that reflects the low base rather than sustained expansion.
The 2000s: reconstruction and oil revenue
Recovery resumed after 2003. GDP per capita rose from USD 1,980.19 in 2000 to USD 3,708.29 in 2009, growth of 87.3 per cent, with a decade mean of USD 2,216.66 and a peak of USD 4,507.54. The 2003 invasion and subsequent reconstruction spending coincided with rising oil prices through 2008. GDP grew 200.4 per cent over the decade, from USD 37.17 billion to USD 111.66 billion. GNI per capita rose 162.1 per cent, from USD 1,530 to USD 4,010. PPP per capita moved from USD 10,627.94 to USD 9,439.59, a decline of 11.2 per cent, reflecting population growth against uneven output gains.
The 2010s: consolidation at a higher level
The 2010s delivered steadier gains. GDP per capita moved from USD 4,467.73 in 2010 to USD 5,860.39 in 2019, growth of 31.2 per cent, with a mean of USD 5,605.64 and a maximum of USD 6,835.88. The period included the 2014 oil price fall and the conflict with Islamic State from 2014 to 2017, which weighed on non-oil activity. PPP per capita rose 28.3 per cent, from USD 9,865.96 to USD 12,655.73. GNI per capita increased 25.7 per cent, from USD 4,390 to USD 5,520.
The 2020s: pandemic shock and recovery
The 2020s opened with a contraction. GDP per capita fell to USD 4,421.26 in 2020 as GDP shrank 12.22 per cent, then recovered to USD 6,175.07 in 2024, growth of 39.7 per cent across five points and a mean of USD 5,673.24. GDP reached USD 279.21 billion in 2024, though real growth was negative at 0.86 per cent. PPP per capita reached USD 14,897.09 in 2024, up 36.9 per cent from USD 10,877.93 in 2020. GNI per capita rose 27.8 per cent, from USD 4,720 to USD 6,030.
Iraq GDP per capita by decade: first year, last year, mean and growth
| Decade | First year value (USD) | Last year value (USD) | Mean (USD) | Growth (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3867.65 | 3791.17 | 3228.20 | -2.0 |
| 1990s | 10261.42 | 1560.36 | 1506.86 | -84.8 |
| 2000s | 1980.19 | 3708.29 | 2216.66 | 87.3 |
| 2010s | 4467.73 | 5860.39 | 5605.64 | 31.2 |
| 2020s | 4421.26 | 6175.07 | 5673.24 | 39.7 |
What drives Iraq's income per person
Iraq's GDP per capita reached USD 6,175 in 2024, up from USD 4,421 in 2020, a 39.7 per cent rise across five years. That headline masks extreme volatility: the 1990s opened at USD 10,261 and closed at USD 1,560, an 84.8 per cent collapse, with a trough of USD 22.95. The 2000s then rebounded 87.3 per cent. Income per person tracks oil revenue and conflict cycles rather than productivity growth, and the drivers below explain why.
Oil dependence and price transmission
Hydrocarbon receipts dominate exports and government revenue, so GDP per capita moves with crude prices. Nominal GDP fell from USD 180.4bn in 1990 to USD 36.9bn in 1999, a 79.6 per cent decline; the 2000s recovered 200.4 per cent to USD 111.7bn by 2009. The 2020s show the same pattern: GDP rose 53.6 per cent from USD 181.7bn in 2020 to USD 279.2bn in 2024. With output growth of -0.86 per cent in 2024 alongside a rising per capita figure, population growth and price effects, not productivity, are doing the work.
Public sector employment and the wage bill
The state is the largest employer, and public payroll absorbs a large share of oil revenue. When prices fall, hiring and wages compress, feeding directly into household income. GNI per capita illustrates the exposure: USD 7,000 in 1990 fell to USD 1,240 in 1999, a fall of 82.3 per cent, before recovering to USD 6,030 in 2024. The gap between GDP per capita (USD 6,175) and GNI per capita (USD 6,030) in 2024 is narrow, indicating limited net factor income from abroad and heavy reliance on domestic oil rents.
Youth unemployment and labour absorption
Fast population growth dilutes per capita gains even when aggregate GDP rises. Youth unemployment is structurally high, and the private sector is too small to absorb new entrants. Purchasing-power parity GDP per capita rose 36.9 per cent from USD 10,878 in 2020 to USD 14,897 in 2024, but the ratio to the nominal figure (about 2.4) reflects a large non-traded sector and weak export diversification. Each new cohort entering the labour market adds to the denominator of income per person without matching output growth.
Conflict legacy and food import reliance
Wars and sanctions destroyed capital stock and institutions. The 1990s contraction, with GDP per capita averaging USD 1,507 across the decade, followed the Gulf War and sanctions regime. Iraq imports a large share of its food, exposing the current account and consumer prices to global commodity and currency shocks. The 2020s mean GDP per capita of USD 5,673 sits below the 2010s peak of USD 6,836, showing that recovery remains incomplete relative to the prior decade's high.
Implications for volatility
The 2010s delivered 31.2 per cent growth in GDP per capita, the 2020s 39.7 per cent, yet annual swings remain wide. With 2024 growth at -0.86 per cent and per capita income at USD 6,175, the structural mix of oil rents, state employment, young labour supply and import dependence keeps income per person tied to commodity cycles rather than sustained productivity gains.
Iraq GDP and GDP per capita, 2020-2024
| Year | GDP (USD billion) | GDP per capita (USD) | GDP growth (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 181.74 | 4421.26 | -12.22 |
| 2021 | 207.00 | 4975.00 | 7.84 |
| 2022 | 264.00 | 5930.00 | 6.50 |
| 2023 | 287.72 | 6669.44 | -2.50 |
| 2024 | 279.21 | 6175.07 | -0.86 |
Peers, GNI per capita, and what the figure misses
Regional comparisons
Iraq's GDP per capita of USD 6,175 in 2024 sits below the Gulf Co-operation Council average but above several non-oil regional peers such as Jordan and Lebanon. The figure is roughly one-seventh of Qatar's and about one-fifth of the United Arab Emirates' level, reflecting a population of over 40 million against far smaller Gulf citizenries. Measured in purchasing power parity, Iraq's GDP per capita reaches USD 14,897, a level closer to Egypt and Morocco than to the Gulf. The gap between the nominal USD 6,175 and the PPP USD 14,897 reflects a price level less than half that of advanced economies.
GNI per capita
Gross national income per capita stood at USD 6,030 in 2024, marginally below GDP per capita of USD 6,175. The narrow gap indicates limited net factor income flows, consistent with an economy where oil exports dominate and foreign direct investment remains modest. GNI per capita rose 27.8 per cent across the 2020s to date, from USD 4,720 in 2020, a trajectory that mirrors the GDP per capita recovery of 39.7 per cent over the same five years. Both series collapsed in the 1990s, with GNI per capita falling 82.3 per cent across that decade and GDP per capita falling 84.8 per cent.
Distribution and welfare limits
GDP per capita is a mean, and Iraq's distribution is uneven. Public sector employment absorbs a large share of the labour force, and oil revenues are channelled through the state budget rather than household incomes. The 2024 GDP growth rate of negative 0.86 per cent, against a GDP per capita of USD 6,175, implies that population growth of roughly 2 per cent erodes per capita gains even when aggregate output is flat. Non-oil private sector activity contributes a minority of GDP, so headline per capita figures overstate the income available to most households.
What the figure misses
Several dimensions of welfare are absent from GDP per capita. Iraq's electricity supply remains intermittent, water infrastructure is degraded, and reconstruction needs following the 2014 to 2017 conflict with Islamic State remain substantial. The 1990s data illustrate volatility: GDP per capita fell from USD 10,261 in 1990 to a minimum of USD 22.95 before recovering to USD 1,560 by 1999, a range that no single annual figure can convey. Human capital indicators, informality, and the share of the population below national poverty lines are not captured by the USD 6,175 headline.
Reading the series with caution
- Nominal and PPP measures diverge by a factor of 2.4 in 2024, so cross-country rankings depend heavily on the chosen basis.
- Decade averages mask volatility: the 1990s mean GDP per capita of USD 1,507 compares with a 2010s mean of USD 5,606.
- GNI per capita of USD 6,030 and GDP per capita of USD 6,175 differ by 2.3 per cent, a small margin that limits inferences about net foreign income.
Comparisons with peers should therefore pair per capita output with GNI, PPP adjustment, and non-income indicators before drawing welfare conclusions.
Iraq GNI per capita by decade (USD)
| Decade | First year value | Last year value | Mean | Growth (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3930.00 | 3650.00 | 3180.00 | -7.1 |
| 1990s | 7000.00 | 1240.00 | 1058.00 | -82.3 |
| 2000s | 1530.00 | 4010.00 | 1997.00 | 162.1 |
| 2010s | 4390.00 | 5520.00 | 5346.00 | 25.7 |
| 2020s | 4720.00 | 6030.00 | 5384.00 | 27.8 |
Frequently asked questions
What is Iraq's GDP per capita in current US dollars?
Iraq's GDP per capita was about $5,600 in 2023, down from a peak above $7,000 in 2013, according to World Bank current-dollar estimates. The series is volatile because both oil prices and output swing sharply: the 2014-2015 oil price collapse cut the figure by roughly 25% within two years, and the 2020 pandemic shock pushed it below $4,200. Because oil accounts for more than 90% of export receipts, the dollar measure moves with crude benchmarks rather than with domestic productivity. Readers comparing years should use current-dollar figures for cross-country ranking and constant-price figures for trend analysis.
What is Iraq's GDP per capita at purchasing power parity?
On a purchasing power parity basis, Iraq's GDP per capita was around $11,000 in 2023, roughly double the current-dollar figure, reflecting the low domestic price level relative to the United States. The PPP series has risen from about $7,000 in 2010, though it stalled between 2014 and 2018 when conflict and the oil price fall depressed non-oil activity. PPP conversion factors matter here because fuel and food subsidies hold administered prices below market levels. The gap between the dollar and PPP measures, near 2:1, is wider than for most Gulf producers, indicating that tradable oil income does not translate proportionally into domestic purchasing power.
How has Iraq's GDP per capita changed since 2003?
Iraq's GDP per capita rose from roughly $1,000 in 2003 to a peak near $7,000 in 2013, a sevenfold increase in current-dollar terms, driven by post-2003 oil sector rehabilitation and high crude prices. It then fell to about $4,600 in 2017 during the conflict with Islamic State and the oil price slump, before recovering to around $5,600 by 2023. The trajectory is not a steady climb: three separate contractions of more than 10% occurred in 2003, 2014 and 2020. Population growth of about 2.5% a year has absorbed much of the oil revenue gain, so per capita gains lag aggregate output growth over the full period.
Why is Iraq's GDP per capita so volatile?
Volatility stems from concentration: hydrocarbons generate over 90% of government revenue and almost all export earnings, so a 20% move in Brent crude shifts nominal GDP per capita by a comparable margin. Real GDP contracted by about 11% in 2020 when oil prices and OPEC+ quotas cut output, then grew roughly 7% in 2021 as prices recovered. Non-oil sectors, chiefly services and construction, contribute less than half of output and are themselves sensitive to public spending. The result is a per capita series with a standard deviation of annual change several times that of diversified emerging markets, complicating any assessment of underlying living standards.
How does Iraq's GDP per capita compare with other Gulf countries?
Iraq's GDP per capita of about $5,600 in 2023 is the lowest among major Gulf oil producers. Kuwait recorded roughly $32,000, Saudi Arabia about $31,000 and the United Arab Emirates near $49,000 in the same year. The gap reflects population size, with Iraq at some 44 million people against Kuwait's 4.3 million, and weaker non-oil diversification. Iraq's figure is closer to Jordan's $4,700 and Iran's $4,500 in current-dollar terms. On a PPP basis the distance narrows but persists: Iraq's roughly $11,000 compares with about $70,000 for the UAE, indicating that oil wealth per head is diluted by demographics and by lower capital stock per worker.
What share of Iraq's GDP per capita comes from oil?
Oil accounts for roughly 40% to 45% of Iraq's measured GDP and over 90% of exports, so the per capita figure is effectively an oil revenue measure divided by population. With crude output near 4.3 million barrels per day and a population of about 44 million, each dollar per barrel of oil price translates into roughly $35 of annual GDP per person. Non-oil GDP per capita, concentrated in public administration, trade and construction, is estimated at under $3,500. This composition means that diversification progress, not oil price alone, will determine whether the per capita series can hold above $5,000 when crude prices fall below $70.