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Understanding Urban Informality in Iraq: Findings from the Informal Sector Enterprise Survey
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-07-24) Moosa, Dalal; Abdel Ahad, Joanna; Moreira, Vanessa
In Iraq, like many countries around the world, the informal sector is a major contributor to employment and business activity. The Iraq Labor Force Survey (LFS) of 2021 estimated that more than half of the workers in the country do not contribute to social insurance, consequently informal. Recent surveys conducted by the Central Statistics Organization (CSO) and the Kurdistan Region Statistics Office (KRSO) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) found that 80 percent and 60 percent of businesses, respectively, are not registered with any public entity, consequently informal. Recognizing the prevalence of this sector and its role in people’s earning and consumption, this report extends the knowledge about Iraq’s urban informality through a new survey. The Informal Sector Enterprise Survey (ISES) was led by the World Bank, with the objective of further illuminating the characteristics of urban informal businesses and their workers. It was conducted in four key cities: Baghdad, Basrah, Najaf and Sulaymaniyah. It is complemented by two other World Bank surveys fielded around the same time: the World Bank Enterprise Survey (WBES) and the Micro-enterprise survey of 2022, both of which focus on formal businesses. The next sections are organized as follows. Section II explains the data collection process and final sample. Section III highlights the key findings. Section IV proposes some key policy and program priorities to improve the lives of the people who work in the sector and the performance of the businesses. Section VII concludes with a few remarks on the potential for future research on Iraq’s informality.
Iraq Country Climate and Development Report
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11) World Bank Group
The Iraq Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) is a core WBG analytical product. The report focuses on specific analytical components that are critical to addressing Iraq's most pressing development needs and climate challenges simultaneously. The Iraq CCDR advocates for energy transition as a lever to address Iraq’s deep energy sector's inefficiencies and cope with the vulnerabilities of the water-agriculture-poverty nexus. The Iraq CCDR presents a set of prioritized and sequenced policy recommendations, which aim to accelerate Iraq's green, resilient and inclusive development.
The Business Case for Investing in Women’s Employment in Iraq: Company Insight - Ashur International Bank for Investment - Advancing Women in Business Leadership & Management Banking/ Financial Sector, Iraq
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022) International Finance Corporation; World Bank
In Iraq, women are generally absent from senior management and leadership positions, with an estimated representation of just 1 percent - even lower than the regional average. Women also account for more than half of the financial sector’s workforce, owing in part to government directives to appoint more females within Iraqi banks. In 2018, with International Finance Corporation (IFC) assistance, the Central Bank of Iraq required that every Iraqi bank’s board of directors should include at least one woman. Many private banks in Iraq are currently developing modern banking practices, with several of them prioritizing gender diversity in leadership positions. This company insight explores the experience of one such Iraqi bank, Ashur International Bank for Investment (Ashur Bank), which has been a pioneer for private banks in recruiting and promoting women to management positions. In Ashur Bank’s experience, these policies have improved the company’s performance, driven economic growth and profitability, and improved innovation. The sample size however is not statistically significant and cannot be used to draw definite conclusions but rather provides anecdotal evidence on the topic of this study.
The Business Case for Investing in Women’s Employment in Iraq - Company Insight, Nafith Logistics Co.: Supporting Women in Non-Traditional Roles
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022) International Finance Corporation; World Bank
This is the first of a three-part company insight under the MGF to highlight forward-thinking companies and inspire other businesses to design more gender-aware environments based on models that work. It offers a closer look into Nafith Logistics, a logistics service provider that aims to streamline cargo transport connecting the hinterland to the ports in Iraq. It showcases how supporting women in non-traditional roles improves staff retention, attendance rates and innovation at the workplace.
Breaking Out of Fragility: A Country Economic Memorandum for Diversification and Growth in Iraq
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2020-09-30) World Bank
Iraq is at a crossroads. Almost two decades after the 2003 war, the country remains caught in a fragility trap, facing increasing political instability, growing social unrest, and a deepening state-citizen divide. Amid a multitude of crises—including an oil price shock, the COVID-19 pandemic, and recent instability and protests—coupled with poor economic policies, a lack of reforms, and an inability to tackle corruption, Iraq is having its worst annual economic growth performance in 2020 since the fall of the Saddam regime. But with every crisis comes an opportunity to reform. Iraq can embark on a long but much-needed path toward structural transformation, one that could leave its economy less dependent on oil and more driven by private sector activity. Such a path can no longer be avoided, as has been illustrated by the widespread protests since October 2019. This report highlights what Iraq can do to sustain future growth; it also shows why Iraq has not yet managed to achieve high levels of diversified growth alongside peace, stability, and a better standard of living for its people. Iraq’s high levels of fragility and conflict--reinforced by high oil dependency--hinder the country’s prospects for economic reform and growth. Despite Iraq’s existing sociopolitical and economic environment, three encouraging messages emerge from this report. First, there is a peace dividend in Iraq. Iraq’s per capita GDP was about one-fifth lower in 2018 than it would have been if not for the conflict beginning in 2014. Thus, maintaining peace can by itself be a strong driver of growth. Second, Iraq has latent export potential for a variety of goods that, if tapped, could diversify the country’s economy, raise living standards, and boost economic resilience. Third, Iraqi agriculture could be revived to serve as a pillar of a more diversified and private sector–led economy.
The Unfulfilled Promise of Oil and Growth : Poverty, Inclusion and Welfare in Iraq 2007-2012
(Washington, DC, 2014-12-01) World Bank
Iraq appears to have firmly entered the ranks of upper middle-income countries in 2012, having experienced strong economic growth following the establishment of a civilian elected government in 2005-06. In 2012 the years of growth culminated in a per capita GDP of 2472 constant 2005 US$. This three-volume poverty and inclusion assessment provides the first in-depth analysis of Iraq's economic and social development during the period of 2007 to 2012. Volume 1 is an overview of the economic climate in Iraq, providing brushstroke descriptions of its poverty reduction plans, labor markets, public health data, and education focal points. Volume 2 is a nine-chapter report on the years between 2007 and 2012, a period of relative stability in Iraq. 2007 marks the end of sectarian violence, which lasted until 2012, prior to the militancy and insurgency in the northern governorates of the summer of 2014. The country has been a nexus of conflict and fragility since the early 1980s, and has experienced multiple types of conflict: insurgency, international war, sectarian strife, persistent terrorism, regional fragmentation, and spillovers from conflict in other countries. What should have been a promising endowment of natural resources of land, oil and gas, as well of human capital, did not provide the foundation for poverty reduction and shared prosperity. The realization of potential was confounded by war and repression. A key priority of the Government of Iraq since 2005-06 has been to fill the huge knowledge gap in terms of a deeper understanding of the state of the economy and of a range of socioeconomic indicators of welfare with the objective of building a strong evidence base for effective policy making. The rich analyses presented in this report go well beyond counting the poor. It gives an incisive understanding of the multi-layered development challenges faced by the nation, which serves as a testament to the commitment of the Government of Iraq, the staff of the Central Statistics Office, and the Kurdistan Region Statistics Office. It will form the basis for a new strategy for Iraq's development and ensure broad-based welfare improvements for the population. Volume 3 consists of nine annexes and nine references in the forms of tables, boxes, and equations used in the methodologies.
Iraq Workforce Development : SABER Country Report 2013
(Washington, DC, 2013) World Bank
There is a widespread feeling of urgency in Iraq, across the public and private sectors, to improve workforce development (WfD) and the links between education and the work place. However, the country has no clear strategy or plan of action for WfD. The existing WfD structures in Iraq do not have the authority or clear agendas to move forward. In addition, the necessary linkages across technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programs and other types of education or the work place are limited. As a result, Iraq was rated at a Latent stage for all three dimensions on the Systems Approach for Better Education Results (SABER) WfD assessment: Strategic Framework, System Oversight, and Service Delivery.
Iraq Investment Climate Assessment 2012
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2012) World Bank
Despite decades of war and instability, Iraq's abundant natural resources, strategic geographic location and cultural history endow Iraq with tremendous potential for growth and diverse economic development. Driven by windfall oil revenues in recent years, the Government of Iraq has invested heavily in rebuilding the infrastructure of the country, and its abundant oil reserves ensure that progress can continue steadily. This report was initiated at the request of the Iraqi government to assess the local investment climate and identify those high priority factors which most significantly impede private sector development in Iraq, in an effort to prioritize the recommended investments, institutional and regulatory reforms which would most significantly contribute to sustainable private sector growth and increased productivity.
Middle East and North Africa Economic Developments and Prospects, September 2011 : Investing for Growth and Jobs
(Washington, DC, 2011-09) World Bank; Ianchovichina, Elena
The report highlights the important links between good governance on a level legal and regulatory playing field, and the ability of investment to stimulate growth. Investment in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has been strong over the last two decades in comparison with Latin America and Eastern Europe. However, in the oil exporting countries, it has been primarily supported by large and expanding public investments. Oil importers, in contrast, have shown more strength in private investment, which has increased in recent years. A concern with reliance on public investment is that in economies with weak governance there is no evidence that public investment stimulates growth. In contrast, in countries with an adequate level of protection of property rights and legal institutions, public investment is strongly linked to growth. The report also makes a strong case for private investment in services and manufacturing as engines of job creation and income growth in the region.
Republic of Iraq: Financial Sector Review
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2011) Nasr, Sahar
This report was initiated at the request of the Iraqi government to get a better understanding of the overall financial sector in Iraq. The main objective of the report was to develop a comprehensive assessment of the financial sector. This report takes a first look at the overall financial system of Iraq with a forward looking approach. Key findings of the report are: 1) Iraq's financial sector is dominated by the banking system, with most assets held by state-owned banks; 2) many private banks are in the process of developing modern banking practices, but still need further strengthening and consolidation; 3) other financial markets are concentrated at the Iraqi stock exchange but capitalization is low, and few instruments are traded; 3) the insurance sector is small, dominated by state- owned enterprises, and is not supervised; 4) weak financial infrastructure is a clear impediment to access to finance; and 5) Small Medium Enterprises (SME) and microfinance is not well developed.