State Capacity Index in Iraq

Iraq: State Capacity Index was -0.6327 in 2015. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2015)
-0.6327
Change on year
up 14.0%
World rank
149th
of 166 countries
All-time high
0.3583
in 1983
All-time low
-1.21
in 2006
Years of data
56
1960–2015

State Capacity Index in Iraq, 1960–2015

-1-0.500.5196019872015

Source: Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2015, state capacity index in Iraq stood at -0.6327.

The figure is up 14.0% on the previous year and up 36.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, state capacity index in Iraq peaked at 0.3583 in 1983 and was at its lowest, -1.21, in 2006.

Iraq ranks 149th of 166 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

State Capacity Index in Iraq, year by year

Annual values for State Capacity Index in Iraq, 1960 to 2015.
Year Value Change
1960 -0.2859
1961 -0.3671 +28.4%
1962 -0.37 +0.8%
1963 -0.2155 -41.8%
1964 -0.2114 -1.9%
1965 -0.1807 -14.5%
1966 -0.1848 +2.3%
1967 -0.2049 +10.9%
1968 -0.2143 +4.6%
1969 -0.1816 -15.3%
1970 -0.1487 -18.1%
1971 -0.16 +7.6%
1972 -0.1486 -7.1%
1973 -0.1002 -32.6%
1974 -0.0526 -47.5%
1975 -0.0119 -77.3%
1976 0.0987 -927.2%
1977 0.1024 +3.8%
1978 0.157 +53.3%
1979 0.1889 +20.3%
1980 0.2143 +13.4%
1981 0.2086 -2.7%
1982 0.2878 +38.0%
1983 0.3583 +24.5%
1984 -0.0267 -107.5%
1985 0.0149 -155.8%
1986 -0.027 -281.3%
1987 -0.0038 -85.9%
1988 0.1658 -4465.5%
1989 0.1599 -3.6%
1990 0.0959 -40.0%
1991 -0.3075 -420.5%
1992 -0.5092 +65.6%
1993 -0.3751 -26.3%
1994 -0.3456 -7.9%
1995 -0.3782 +9.4%
1996 -0.3819 +1.0%
1997 -0.4205 +10.1%
1998 -0.4465 +6.2%
1999 -0.4477 +0.3%
2000 -0.4336 -3.1%
2001 -0.4289 -1.1%
2002 -0.5942 +38.5%
2003 -0.7012 +18.0%
2004 -1.14 +62.0%
2005 -0.9886 -13.0%
2006 -1.21 +22.7%
2007 -1.05 -13.2%
2008 -0.8514 -19.1%
2009 -0.9357 +9.9%
2010 -0.7928 -15.3%
2011 -0.6948 -12.4%
2012 -0.6288 -9.5%
2013 -0.7231 +15.0%
2014 -0.7361 +1.8%
2015 -0.6327 -14.0%

Iraq compared with similar countries

  • Iraq's -0.6327 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.5986. (47 countries reporting)
  • Iraq's -0.6327 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.2707. (21 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where State Capacity Index in Iraq changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1988 +4465.5% -0.0038 0.1658
1976 +927.2% -0.0119 0.0987
1991 -420.5% 0.0959 -0.3075
1986 -281.3% 0.0149 -0.027
1985 +155.8% -0.0267 0.0149

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s -0.2416 -0.37 -0.1807 10
1970s -0.0075 -0.16 0.1889 10
1980s 0.1352 -0.027 0.3583 10
1990s -0.3516 -0.5092 0.0959 10
2000s -0.8336 -1.21 -0.4289 10
2010s -0.7014 -0.7928 -0.6288 6

Countries ranked near Iraq

  1. 146 Liberia -0.5134 compare
  2. 147 Equatorial Guinea -0.5207 compare
  3. 148 Chad -0.5349 compare
  4. 150 Madagascar -0.6381 compare
  5. 151 Burundi -0.6417 compare
  6. 152 Solomon Islands -0.7057 compare

See the full ranking of 166 places →

More reference data data for Iraq

All data for Iraq →

Frequently asked questions

What is state capacity index in Iraq?
State capacity index in Iraq was -0.6327 in 2015, according to Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest state capacity index recorded in Iraq?
The highest recorded value was 0.3583 in 1983.
What is the lowest state capacity index recorded in Iraq?
The lowest recorded value was -1.21 in 2006.
How does Iraq rank for state capacity index?
Iraq ranks 149th out of 166 countries with data for 2015.
Is state capacity index rising or falling in Iraq?
Over the last ten years it is up 36.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Iraq data come from?
The figures come from Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of State Capacity Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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State Capacity Index in Iraq. Statizoid, drawing on Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/state-capacity-index/iraq/

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About this data

Indicator
State Capacity Index
Source
Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
166 places, 8,015 data points, 1960–2015
Last refreshed

Measures state capacity by combining 21 different indicators related to three key dimensions: extractive capacity, coercive capacity, and administrative capacity. Higher values indicate greater state capacity.