Government Effectiveness - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) in Iraq
Iraq: Government Effectiveness - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) was -1.02 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Government Effectiveness - Governance estimate in Iraq, 1996–2025
Source: World Bank. Measured in approx. -2.5 to +2.5.
Analysis
In 2025, government effectiveness - governance estimate in Iraq stood at -1.02 approx. -2.5 to +2.5. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
That represents a change of up 10.1% on the previous year and up 12.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government effectiveness - governance estimate in Iraq peaked at -1.02 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2025 and was at its lowest, -2.27 approx. -2.5 to +2.5, in 2002.
Iraq ranks 181st of 206 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Government Effectiveness - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) in Iraq, year by year
| Year | approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | -1.92 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | — |
| 1998 | -2.19 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +13.9% |
| 2000 | -2.19 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | -2.27 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +3.7% |
| 2003 | -2.09 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -7.7% |
| 2004 | -1.62 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -22.6% |
| 2005 | -2.01 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +24.2% |
| 2006 | -1.9 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -5.5% |
| 2007 | -1.72 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -9.3% |
| 2008 | -1.32 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -23.7% |
| 2009 | -1.17 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -11.3% |
| 2010 | -1.22 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +4.6% |
| 2011 | -1.24 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +1.8% |
| 2012 | -1.16 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -6.7% |
| 2013 | -1.12 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -3.6% |
| 2014 | -1.02 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -8.7% |
| 2015 | -1.16 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +13.9% |
| 2016 | -1.17 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.9% |
| 2017 | -1.17 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | -1.16 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.9% |
| 2019 | -1.2 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +2.9% |
| 2020 | -1.3 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +8.3% |
| 2021 | -1.31 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +1.0% |
| 2022 | -1.36 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +4.0% |
| 2023 | -1.43 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +4.9% |
| 2024 | -1.13 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -21.0% |
| 2025 | -1.02 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -10.1% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's -1.02 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is -0.023 approx. -2.5 to +2.5, 44.1× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Iraq's -1.02 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is -0.1932 approx. -2.5 to +2.5, 5.3× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -2.05 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -2.19 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -1.92 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 2 |
| 2000s | -1.81 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -2.27 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -1.17 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 9 |
| 2010s | -1.16 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -1.24 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -1.02 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 10 |
| 2020s | -1.26 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -1.43 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -1.02 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
More reference data data for Iraq
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2116 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 7.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3911 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 7.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.7096 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.235 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 13.21 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 30.36 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.13 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government effectiveness - governance estimate in Iraq?
- Government effectiveness - governance estimate in Iraq was -1.02 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2025, according to the World Bank.
- What is the highest government effectiveness - governance estimate recorded in Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was -1.02 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2025.
- What is the lowest government effectiveness - governance estimate recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.27 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2002.
- How does Iraq rank for government effectiveness - governance estimate?
- Iraq ranks 181st out of 206 countries with data for 2025.
- Is government effectiveness - governance estimate rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iraq data come from?
- The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Government Effectiveness - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 27 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).