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LOCAL AREA DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
STRATEGIC URBAN DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK FOR
GOVERNORATES IN IRAQ
Indicator Technical Brief
Prepared By:
Mona Serageldin
Daniel Tsai
Alejandra Mortarini
With Assistance of
Johann Friedl
Institute for International Urban Development (I2UD)
November 22th
2016
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Contents The Importance of Indicators and Indices ...................................................................................... 3
Socio-Economic Development ................................................................................................... 4
Quality of Life............................................................................................................................. 8
Poverty and Deprivation ........................................................................................................... 12
Governorate Assessment: Discussion of Indicators and Indices .................................................. 16
Southern Cluster........................................................................................................................ 16
Pilgrimage Cluster .................................................................................................................... 20
Central Cluster .......................................................................................................................... 23
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 26
Indicator Visualizations ................................................................................................................ 28
Statistical Annex ........................................................................................................................... 50
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The Importance of Indicators and Indices
Worldwide today, economic and environmental uncertainty challenge decision makers
and stakeholders. Planners are hard pressed to predict what will happen 10 to 15 years from
today. The situation in the Mashreq countries is among the most challenging. The complexities
of the global economy, the lack of predictability of the local impacts of climate change in
addition to enduring geopolitical considerations entail the need for a flexible development policy
and strategy framework at the national and governorate levels that can be adjusted to respond to
rapid change. This report has relied on indicators to provide the data base needed to structure
these frameworks. Use of indicators covers 3 key tasks of planning for decision making.
1) Measuring selected indicators to document the current state of economic, social and
environmental conditions at the national and sub national level based on empirical data
derived from national databases and targeted surveys.
2) Monitoring key indicators can show trends that measure how the situation in all of its
dimensions is evolving and indentify the determinants of change.
3) Informing decision makers to enable them to respond to change by adjusting policies,
reformulating strategies and revising action plans.
Computing and mapping indicators is essential for planning and decision making at the
national and governorate levels. The analysis presented in this section of the report allows the
assessment of current conditions prevailing in each governorate through a multidimensional
perspective, combining statistical data and their spatial implications. It highlights leading
governorates as well as governorates that are lagging in their economic growth or lack adequate
physical and social infrastructure and require additional support to develop the capacity and
resources needed to spur their economic recovery. This is a mandate under the national policy
seeking to achieve a spatially balanced development.
Asides from population figures, district (Qadaa) level data is not readily available and is
difficult to obtain under the current circumstances. The indicators studied are computed at the
governorate level for which data is compiled by COSIT, or specialized Ministries and
governorate authorities. The inability to compute statistics at the district and sub district level
obscures areas suffering from lower quality living environments and pockets of poverty and
deprivation.
Geographic mapping of the indicators and indices is essential to discern and interpret
spatial patterns. The damage suffered as a result of the wars varies among governorates. All the
indicators of achievement are affected by the challenges that conflicts create. Destruction of
irrigation systems, roads and infrastructure affects agriculture and industrial production and
disrupts trade. Damage to civilian infrastructure constrains the delivery of social services.
Interpretation of quantifiable indicators must be enhanced by the assessment of
qualitative socio-cultural considerations. In areas still in conflict security is the prime concern
and the major determinant of population movements. In post-conflict governorates safety is a
key factor in the choice of location. Neighborhoods regroup families who share a common bond,
reviving traditional preferences tempered by the necessity of securing remunerated employment
and seeking economic opportunity to enable the family to improve their living conditions.
The selected indicators for the analysis are those needed to inform national and local
spatial development strategies. They incorporate the post 2010 revisions in the computation of
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the Human Development and poverty indices. The new approach to the assessment of poverty
adopted by the UNDP in 2010 was applied in the 2014 Iraq Human Development Report.
Socio-Economic Development
The revised HDI, used since 2011, has changed the computation of the income and health
variables and sub-indices and has added a new variable to the education sub-index. The three
sub-indices are then combined to compute the HDI1. The income sub-index is measured by the
GNI PPP per capita, the education dimension by mean years of schooling and expected years of
schooling and the health dimension by expectation of life at birth. Each indicator has maximum
and minimum values used in the computation of the index whose score ranges from zero to one.
The HDI is a worldwide country level measurement of human development. An assessment of
human development at the sub national level requires adapting the indicator value range to the
situation in Iraq and the conditions prevailing at the governorate level.
Three indicators are used for the measurement of the income in the various indices
presented in the UNDP studies: The GDP per capita; the GNI PPP per capita; and the household
income (HHI). The World Bank international comparison program database provides country
level statistics for the GDP, GDP PPP, GNI and GNI PPP, where PPP stands for purchasing
power parity which measures the actual capacity of income to buy goods and services. Iraq’s
ratio of GNI/GDP is 1.19 as the GNI includes exports and imports and currency flows. The
purchasing power parity factor (PPP) given by the World Bank is 2.68 entailing that the ratio of
GDP to GDP PPP is low. This is an indicator that the prices of goods and services are lower
than the exchange ratio implies. Subsidies to housing and utilities and basic goods contribute to
this misalignment. This feature is common throughout the Arab region and is most pronounced
in the oil producing countries.
The $75,000 maximum and $100 minimum values of the GNI PPP used in the
international HDI computation are not representative of the situation in Iraq. In Part 1 of the
NUS, GDP and population estimates for each governorate were computed. By applying the
country GNI/GDP ratio and PPP rate given in the World Bank statistics to the maximum and
minimum value for the GDP per capita recorded across the governorate gives maximum and
minimum values of GNI PPP of $45,000 and $10,000 respectively, derived directly from Iraq’s
current economic and demographic profile.
The two indicators of income, the GNI and the GDP reflect the location of hubs of
production and the geographic distribution of revenue generating resources which in the case of
Iraq are the large cities and the oil fields with their associated production facilities in Kirkuk,
Basrah, Missan and potentially Salah Al-Din once the Baiji refinery is fully restored and
operational. The third indicator, namely household income, is given by the Ministry’s socio-
economic survey, which covers income and expenditure patterns in 2012. It provides a measure
of the income derived by the household from all the sources available to its members (salaries,
wages, rents, business revenue, social assistance, etc.) Each of the three indicators has its use.
To assess development potential at the national level, GNI is the preferred measure. At the sub
national level, GDP is the better indicator. To assess poverty and deprivation, household income
is the most relevant indicator to use. To evaluate quality of life or living standards either the
1 For more information see : http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/human-development-index-hdi
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GDP or the household income could be used depending on the objectives of the assessment and
whether the emphasis is on current conditions or potential for improvement.
The Iraq Knowledge Network provides figures for the average years of schooling but
does not provide an estimate of expected years of schooling. The Ministry of Health 2015
Annual Report provides all the required health indicators. Following the HDI computation
methodology, the selected indicators for each dimension of Human Development variables were
normalized and combined to produce a socio-economic development index for each governorate.
This index is similar to the HDI but lacks the missing variable of expected years of schooling
which is difficult to predict in a country still experiencing conflict in part of its territory and
initiating recovery efforts in the post conflict governorates.
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Socio-Economic Development Index
Governorate Name Rank Order Values (using HHI) Rank
Order Values (using GDP per capita)
Anbar 15 0.740 8 0.735
Babylon 7 0.759 4 0.750
Baghdad 11 0.752 12 0.727
Basra 1 0.768 1 0.780
Dahouk 5 0.765 11 0.730
Diyala 17 0.736 18 0.713
Erbil 6 0.762 10 0.731
Kerbela 18 0.732 14 0.718
Kirkuk 14 0.740 6 0.746
Missan 2 0.768 2 0.766
Muthanna 13 0.743 16 0.717
Najaf 9 0.753 17 0.715
Ninewa 12 0.751 13 0.721
Qadissiya 16 0.737 15 0.717
Salah al-Din 10 0.752 9 0.734
Sulaymaniyah 4 0.766 5 0.747
Thi-Qar 3 0.767 3 0.755
Wasit 8 0.758 7 0.738
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The range of variation of the index value is limited and relatively high with the highest
score of 0.768 achieved by Basrah and Missan and the lowest score of 0.732 recorded in
Qadissiya and Kerbela. This limited spread shows that all the governorates have a good
development potential. Strength in many of the variables chosen creates opportunities for
synergistic growth within the weaker indicators. The four indicators used in building the index
reveal key strengths and weaknesses at the governorate level.
Life expectancy at birth shows a highest value of 75.9 years and a lowest of 68.9 years.
This spread of values indicates that there are limited disparities within the country in the
availability of health care. In fact, this age range is similar to other countries in the Arab region.
Within Iraq, Sulaymaniyah and Missan recorded the highest values and Baghdad and Diyala the
lowest, keeping in mind that lower figures are less indicative of inadequacies in health care,
given the limited spread and relatively high values of the variable across the governorates.
The ability to secure land and progress towards owning a home is recognized worldwide
as the most important factors in aiding families to build up assets. Figures for the ownership of
housing defined as having paid for the house or currently paying for it through a mortgage are
high in Iraq. The highest percentage is 94% and the lowest is 76%. Southern governorates
recorded comparatively higher figures than those in the central clusters. As is the case in all
large cities, the urban governorate of greater Baghdad has the lowest rate due to the availability
of rental accommodations.
The range of variation within educational achievement, represented by mean years of
schooling, is narrow and relatively low. The maximum value of 8.8 years and the minimum
value of 6.8 years cover the completion of the primary and intermediate cycles. Using 15 years
as the highest potential amount and zero as the lowest amount, the values reported by the
governorates fall directly in the middle of the scale. As should be expected, the highest score
with 8.8 years is in Baghdad, the center of higher education and culture. Rural governorates
such as Muthanna had lower scores. Damaged and insufficient provision of schools are
constraining the ability of governorates to raise educational standards despite their growing need
for qualified human resources. It is a well known fact that the children of professionals are those
most likely to complete schooling.
Values for annual household income display a wide range with an upper figure of
$25,127 occurring in Erbil and a lower figure of $13,276 occurring in Diyala. Governorates in
the Kurdistan region such as Erbil, Dahouk and Sulaymaniyah reported higher values than those
in the southern cluster. The middle quintile is comprised of governorates with special cultural,
economic or natural resource endowments such as Najaf, the international gateway to the
pilgrimage cities and a pilgrimage center itself, Baghdad as the nation’s capital and the major oil
production center of Kirkuk.
Quality of Life
The living standard indicators considered by UNDP are access to electricity, access to a
potable water source within a 30 minute walk, access to improved sanitation including public
networks, septic tanks and improved pit latrines, use of solid fuel for cooking and heating, house
with a finished floor and assets that support livelihood, mobility and access to information. The
estimated measures for the indicators used in the computation of the index are weighted
according to weights derived from sample surveys.
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UNDP indicators of access to potable water supply and sanitation are defined according
to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for water supply and sanitation. Improved
water supply ranges from piped water to the dwelling to stand pipes to collection from protected
water and rainwater sources. Similarly, improved sanitation ranges from flushing toilets to
septic tanks to various types of pit latrines. It is clear that some of these solutions are only
adequate in rural areas. Although they are often used in informal and peri-urban settlements
because of lack of urban services or in older underserviced neighborhoods, such solutions are not
adapted to the load they will eventually carry as the settlements or subdivisions densify. Unless
upgraded, the degradation that will ensue from overload will create unsanitary living conditions.
Comparing the areas served by public water borne sewage to the areas served by septic tanks
shows the limited coverage of the public system which has suffered from damage to the
treatment plants during the war and cannot be upgraded at the pace needed to keep up with the
expansion of the urbanized areas thereby affecting the environment and sustainability of rapidly
growing urban centers. Access to electricity exceeds 95% in all the governorates. This is not
surprising given the ease with which households living in slums and informal settlements can
connect legally or more often illegally to the lines as they do in the rest of the world. Access to
the network does not guarantee quality of service. Both the generation and distribution systems
have suffered damage in all the governorates and there are frequent blackouts fueling a brisk
business in the manufacturing, rebuilding, sales and repair of generators.
The health indicator used is the number of doctors per 10,000 people as a measure of the
potential to access health care services. Interestingly, home ownership is not directly included
among the UNDP living standard variables. The reference to living in a house with a finished
floor is important in rural areas and poorer informal settlements as it affects a family’s health and
contributes to improving the productivity of home based income generating activities.
Homeownership is critical to household strategies for self improvement. In the urban areas it is
conditioned by access to land formally and informally. It provides households with a capital
asset whose rapid rate of appreciation far exceeds inflation. The larger the city, the higher the
rate of appreciation. It is a productive asset that can generate income from renting and ground
floor commercial uses as it simultaneously contributes to wealth creation.
Deprivation from access to land perpetuates the cycle of poverty in both urban and rural
areas. It triggers rural/urban migration and inter-urban migration from smaller towns to larger
cities attracted by the perception or reality of economic opportunity and social advancement. In
post-conflict governorates, cities are fragmented by damage to infrastructure, destruction of
buildings and population movements, hence the importance given in this report to access to
infrastructure and the addition of ownership of housing in the assessment of quality of life.
Despite sustained efforts at repairing civilian infrastructure, damaged public water and sewerage
networks still have to be extended to large sectors of most governorates. The situation in some
districts of Salah Al-Din and Anbar testifies to the level of destruction that was inflicted by the
conflict and the difficulties involved in repairing the damage and encouraging IDPs to return. A
similar situation will be encountered in Mosul after its liberation. Pollution and explosive
devices and random violence are further deterrents to the return of the IDPs. Experiences in Iraq
and elsewhere has demonstrated that ownership of land and buildings is a major inducement to
speeding return despite the risks faced in the early phases of post-conflict recovery.
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Quality of Life Index
Governorate Rank Order Quality of Life
Anbar 8 0.659
Babylon 3 0.703
Baghdad 2 0.745
Basra 10 0.630
Dahouk 4 0.700
Diyala 14 0.595
Erbil 9 0.637
Kerbela 5 0.690
Kirkuk 12 0.608
Missan 18 0.558
Muthanna 11 0.629
Najaf 6 0.687
Ninewa 7 0.670
Qadissiya 17 0.584
Salah al-Din 13 0.602
Sulaymaniyah 1 0.798
Thi-Qar 15 0.593
Wasit 16 0.590
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The spectrum of values in the index is wide and the majority of values fall above the
midpoint of 0.5, suggesting positive situations within the governorates. The maximum value of
0.798 is recorded by Sulaymaniyah and the minimum value of 0.558 is attributed to Missan. The
wide spread of values shows that access to social services is highly variable among the
governorates. District level data would accurately pinpoint areas with services deficiencies and
localized spatial patterns may only be discernible at a finer grain analysis. The majority of
governorates received scores closer to the lower portion of the range, as a result of either some
service inadequacies or the existence of low scores in on or another indicator.
Many of the governorates occupying the lowest quintile are located along the Tigris
River suggesting the importance of water related issues in the calculation of quality of life.
Additionally, spatial distance and the associated provision costs make rural and diffuse
settlements more challenging to service as demonstrated by the geographic distribution of lower
scoring governorates. The urban governorate of Baghdad, the nearby governorate of Babylon
and Sulaymaniyah are among the top performers. The middle quintile is comprised of the two
pilgrimage governorates, Najaf and Kerbela indicating the benefits of being international tourism
destinations as well as the challenges associated with accommodating the transient populations.
Poverty and Deprivation
The UNDP Iraq Human Development Report looks at 21 variables for its assessment of
poverty. In its 2009 report quoted in Part 1 of the NUS, UNDP had measured the breadth and
depth of poverty through two key indicators: the number of persons living with incomes below
the poverty level and the poverty gap, a more complex measure that is difficult to compute
except on the basis of an excellent socio-economic survey providing household demographic,
income and expenditure data. The poverty level benchmark used is the cost of purchasing the
maintenance adult caloric intake of 2,200 calories per day. Adjusting for the demographic
characteristics of a youthful population with a broad based population pyramid is overly
complex. Sometimes the consumption of children under 12 is assumed to be half that of an
adult. The report does not specify if any adjustments were made.
The multi-dimensional index includes three sub indices corresponding to the three major
dimensions of human development: education, health and living standards. The education
indicators are school attendance and mean years of schooling. The health indicators are child
mortality and nutrition estimated from data on stunted children and low adult body mass index
(BMI). As noted in the NUS, the importance of employment in the assessment of poverty and
deprivation must be recognized. While there is a strong correlation between poverty and
unemployment as noted by UNDP in its 2009 report, the impact of unemployment and
underemployment in urban areas contributes to perceptions of deprivation and social exclusion.
Given the large youth cohorts which enter the labor force every year, the computation of the
deprivation index in this report has included both total unemployment and youth unemployment,
thereby weighting youth unemployment by a factor of 2. Household income is selected as the
relevant income indicator, mean years of schooling as the education indicator and access to
drinking water as the health indicator because of the impact of water borne diseases on infant
mortality and debilitation of children and adults. All adverse health effects erode the income
generation capacity of poor families and their ability to acquire assets to support their livelihood.
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Deprivation Index
Governorate Name Rank Order Value
Anbar 18 0.357
Babylon 1 0.163
Baghdad 7 0.213
Basra 11 0.247
Dahouk 13 0.269
Diyala 16 0.331
Erbil 4 0.203
Kerbela 5 0.208
Kirkuk 2 0.178
Missan 17 0.337
Muthanna 10 0.245
Najaf 9 0.226
Ninewa 14 0.271
Qadissiya 8 0.222
Salah al-Din 15 0.318
Sulaymaniyah 3 0.180
Thi-Qar 6 0.211
Wasit 12 0.267
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In the absence of district level data, measuring deprivation at the governorate level
produces interesting comparative statistics to support an assessment of trends and patterns across
the country. The four variables used to construct an index of deprivation among governorates
resulted in a range of values with a maximum of 0.358 and a minimum of 0.163. Anbar scored
highest indicating the greatest level of deprivation together with Diyala and Missan despite the
latter’s oil resources indicating the presence of lagging areas requiring attention and support.
The factors contributing to deprivation vary among the governorates. Anbar’s and Diyala’s
score is primarily due to its high unemployment, particularly among youth and low household
income. Missan is caused by high youth unemployment, low levels of schooling and limited
access to water. These three governorates are comprised of medium to small tier cities and lack
a major urban agglomeration.
Sulaymaniyah, Kirkuk, and Babylon received the lowest scores reflecting their relative
improved conditions for health, employment, education and economic opportunities.
Deprivation however, is most often concentrated in specific locations within each governorate.
Infrastructure deficiencies, uneven opportunities for education and a lack of job opportunities
affect different population groups depending on their location and the resources which they can
access. Growing urban populations which have good infrastructure systems may lack sufficient
job opportunities. Smaller towns often lack adequate access to drinking water but may have
reasonable education facilities. The complexity of the measurement is reflected in the spatial
visualization of the index.
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Governorate Assessment: Discussion of Indicators and Indices
Southern Cluster
Key Indicators
%
Urban
GDP per
Capita
($US)
Annual
Household
Income
($US)
Poverty
Rate
(%)
Unemployment
Rate (%)
Youth
Unemployment
Rate (%)
Infant
Mortality
Rate
Households
with Access to
drinking water
(%)
Basrah 79.9 $13,786 $18,065 14.9 7.4 16.1 24.8 70.4
Missan 72.4 $10,785 $19,700 42.3 12.9 23.0 1.6 38.9
Thi Qar 62.9 $7,402 $17,387 40.9 16.5 29.2 19.7 92.2
Muthanna 43.7 $4,832 $14,967 52.5 12.9 18.7 10.0 83.9
Iraq 64.0 $7,305 $18,510 21.1 8.9 14.9 16.3 67.2
Basrah
The population of Basrah in 2015 was estimated at nearly 3 million, of which 1,904
households are IDPs. Basrah is the country’s only port, making it the center of maritime freight
and container shipping industries. It has the highest GDP per capita figure among the
governorates at $13,784 due to the oil and related oil industries. A more relevant assessment of
household economic prosperity is the annual household income, derived from COSIT’s socio-
economic survey, where Basrah ranks ninth among the governorates with a value of $18,065.
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Nevertheless, it has the lowest reported poverty rate among the governorates in the southern
cluster at 14.9%. This implies that a significant proportion of lower income families may be
living just above the poverty level and hence, be vulnerable to economic crisis. According to the
2014 Human Development Report of Iraq, the Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index places Basrah
as 12th
among the 18 governorates determining 17% of the population as being multidimensional
poor. As the Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index uses 21 indicators of which income is one, it can
capture the effects of dimensions beyond income alone. Basrah is among the highest ranking for
life expectancy at birth with an average age of 73.2 years. Yet, according to the 2015 Ministry
of Health Annual Report it had a high infant mortality rate (24.8) and reported a comparatively
average value of 8.2 doctors per 10,000 people.
As the anchor, Basrah continues to attract internal migrants seeking economic and
education opportunities resulting in increasing demand for social services which are at this point
lagging. Its higher education institutions are second only to Baghdad. The concentration of
education facilities is reflected in the second highest value of mean years of schooling for the
country and a total illiteracy rate of 18.1%, the lowest among the southern governorates. Youth
unemployment and youth illiteracy rates are the lowest in the southern cluster with values of
16.1% and 15% respectively. Homeownership is reported to be 86%, of which 70.4% have
access to clean water and 62.6% with access to sanitation although only 24.8% are connected to
the public system.
Basrah received a high score in the socio-economic development index of 0.768 showing
a strong development potential. The combination of high levels of mean years of schooling and
ownership of housing contributed to the overall positive score. The quality of life index reported
a score of 0.630, which is located in the second lowest quintile due to the lower levels of health
care provision and sanitation offsetting higher figures recorded for the other indicators.
Deprivation in Basrah was recorded at 0.247. Relatively low levels of unemployment, and high
figures for education and income variables resulted in a deprivation score which falls within the
middle of the range.
Missan
The governorate of Missan had an estimated population of 1.1 million in 2015 and due to
its relative distance from the ongoing conflict, has received a low level of registered IDP
families. Missan, being endowed with oil fields, is among the governorates with the highest
GDP per capita along with Basrah and Kirkuk. The annual household income of $19,700 is the
sixth highest nationally however the poverty rate in 2012 was among the highest for the country
with 43.3% of the population living in poverty implying income disparities and a high proportion
of families living just below the poverty level. The UNDP 2014 Human Development Report of
Iraq found Missan to have the highest proportion of people who are multi-dimensionally poor.
Total unemployment rates and youth unemployment rates of 12.9% and 23% respectively
suggest a lack of economic opportunity outside the oil industry and is affecting households’
earnings. Despite a comparatively high average life expectancy value of 73.2 years and the
lowest infant mortality rate in the country, only 38.9% of households have access to clean
drinking water. This challenge is unique to Missan within the southern governorates and has to
be addressed together with issues of irrigation and the revitalization of the marshlands.
Education in Missan requires serious consideration. The mean years of schooling are below the
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national average and total illiteracy rates and youth illiteracy rates are high with values at 30.8%
and 27.8%, respectively.
The governorate of Missan received a score of 0.768 in the socio-economic development
index which is high primarily due to elevated figures for life expectancy, ownership of housing
and annual household income. Quality of life was recorded at 0.558 which is the lowest score
among the governorates. Access to water and sanitation show lagging figures of 38.9% and
60.7% respectively, and health care provision expressed by number of doctors per 10,000 people
at 6.2 is low. The deprivation index attributed Missan a high score of 0.337 due to low values
for access to water, as well as education deficiencies and a lack of employment opportunities,
particularly in rural areas due to water shortages and conflicts between agricultural use and
ecosystem restoration of the marshlands.
Thi Qar
Thi Qar is the central governorate of the southern cluster and has an estimated 2015
population of 2.1 million. As of 2016, more than 1,500 families have sought safety within the
governorate. The primary transportation corridor (H1) between Basrah and Baghdad crosses the
governorate while secondary roads provide north-south access between the Tigris and Euphrates.
The GDP per capita has a value of $7,401 and the annual household income stands at $17,387.
Poverty in Thi Qar is comparatively high at 40.9% although this value is similar with the values
recorded in the other governorates of the southern cluster. The total unemployment and youth
unemployment both are the highest in the country with a value of 16.5% and 29.2% respectively,
greatly affecting the ability of households to generate income and spurring migration. The mean
years of schooling achieved in Thi Qar are slightly higher than the national average at 7.8 years
and within the southern cluster, is second only to Basrah. However, illiteracy is high with a
value of 28.6%. More disturbing is the equally high youth illiteracy rate with a value of 24.4%,
which is currently a shared characteristic in the southern cluster, due to inadequate facilities in
the rural areas and marshlands as well as the disruption to schooling caused by the wars,
particularly for girls. Improvement of local roads and schools will help avoid perpetuation of
high levels of illiteracy within the southern cluster.
The infant mortality rate for Thi Qar of 19.7 is above the national average and the value
of 5.2 doctors per 10,000 people is comparatively low among the governorates. These figures
reflect the lack of sufficient healthcare facilities as is the case in many of the surrounding
governorates. Positioned between the two major rivers which traverse Iraq, the percent of
households with access to potable water, as defined by UNDP is high at 92.2%. This does not
entail that households have access to a piped water supply in the dwellings. The percent of
households with access to sanitation, defined as having being connected to a public sewerage
network or having access to a septic tank, is similar to surrounding governorates with a value of
51.6% but those with a connection to the public network are only 20.8%. Use of alternative
options can cause unsanitary conditions in the lowlands.
Socio-economic development and quality of life were recorded at 0.767 and 0.593
respectively. Socio-economic development received a high score due to strong values of the
housing and education indicators. Despite the high levels of home ownership, access to drinking
water and electricity, the value for quality of life is low due to the lower levels of sanitation,
health care services and private transportation. Deprivation in Thi Qar is low with a score of
0.211 as a result of high values for access to drinking water and mean years of schooling
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although this should not obscure the particular attention needed to combat high unemployment
within the governorate.
Muthanna
Within Muthanna, settlement patterns are clustered in its northern bulge along the
Euphrates with the rest of the governorate area being comprised of desert land. Its estimated
2015 population is less than one million and the lowest number of IDP families have settled in
the area. Economic activity is concentrated along the main motorway from Basrah to Baghdad.
GDP per capita and annual household income for the governorate are low at $4,831 and $17,387
respectively, indicating the dual challenge of having a poor population and lacking budgetary
support under the current distribution formula to enable local authorities to address the
challenges it faces. Poverty in Muthanna stands at 52.5%, the highest value for the country.
These rates indicate a sustained out migration from the governorate to more prosperous cities.
Access to the major national motorway should be used to generate more economic activities for
Muthanna’s labor force as the total unemployment rate stand at 12.9% and youth unemployment
at 18.7%.
The concentration of settlements within the governorate acts as a strength in assuring
access to social services. The infant mortality rate reported for Muthanna is low at 10.0 as is the
number of doctors per 10,000 people with a value of 6.7. However, the governorate has the
lowest national mean years of schooling at 6.8 and the highest illiteracy rate at 32.9%. The
effects of low levels of schooling are specifically felt among youth cohorts who reported an
illiteracy rate of 25.9%. This is a serious challenge that will depress the governorate’s
development potential. Ownership of housing is high with a value of 94% as well as the percent
of houses with access to drinking water being similarly high at 83.9%. These figures are
common in smaller settlements along the Euphrates. A high percentage of households report
having access to sanitation (77.3%) although the figure decreases to 2.8% when defined only as
being connected to a public sewerage network, a further indication of the inadequacy of urban
infrastructure in the area.
Muthanna received a score of 0.743 in the socio-economic development index which
surprisingly is not low although the spread of values within the index are limited. The high
levels of ownership of housing and good life expectancy at birth contribute to raising its position
in the score but should not obstruct the weaknesses in the variables that are important to spurring
growth, namely education and economy. The quality of life is recorded at 0.629, a value which
is within the second lowest quintile. Figures for access to social and utility services are high in
relation to other governorates, although values for variables of health care, transportation were
low. Muthanna received a score of 0.245 according to the deprivation index, which is slightly
below the national average, reflecting comparatively low annual household income and mean
years of schooling.
20
Pilgrimage Cluster
Key Indicators
%
Urban
GDP
per
Capita
($US)
Annual
Household
Income
($US)
Poverty
Rate (%)
Unemployment
Rate (%)
Youth
Unemployment
Rate (%)
Infant
Mortality
Rate
Households
with Access to
Drinking
water (%)
Najaf 71.1% $4,710 $19,860 10.8 7.6 11.1 24.4 76.9 Kerbela 66.5% $7,512 $18,770 12.4 5.5 8.0 18.4 78.9
Iraq 64% $7,305 $18,510 21.1 8.9 14.9 16.3 67.2
Najaf
Najaf governorate, with an estimated population of 1.5 million in 2015, has an
international airport and acts as a gateway for pilgrims. More than 13,000 IDP households have
moved to Najaf, with the majority coming from Ninewa. Its capital has a population of just over
one million. One of the two most important sites for Shia Muslims, Najaf is a major destination
for international and national pilgrims. It is also an important center of learning; the University
of Kufa has over 28.500 undergraduate and graduate students.
While Najaf’s GDP per capita of $4,710 is the lowest in Iraq, reflecting an economy
based primarily on religious tourism, the average annual household income is in the middle
quintile with a value of $19,860. Unemployment and youth unemployment levels of 7.6% and
11.1% respectively are significantly lower than the national average and are similar to those of
Kerbela, where the other pilgrimage site is located. The pilgrimage driven hospitality and
tourism industries are the main drivers of the economy and the opportunities they offer low
21
lowers skilled workers account for a 10.8% poverty rate, the fifth lowest in the country. The
mean years of schooling in Najaf are equal to that of the national average at 7.7% while the
illiteracy rate is slightly above the national mean at 23.6%. Youth illiteracy is high with a value
of 22.0%.
Life expectancy at birth was reported at 73 years which is similar to the national average.
Infant mortality rates however, were high with a value of 24.4, the third highest in the country.
While, as in the rest of Iraq, almost 99.3 % of households have access to electricity, access to
other public services is relatively low. Due to the concentration of the population in and around
the capital city (82.0% of the governorate’s population), access to water was reported at 76.9%
while 74.3 % reported access to improved sanitation through public networks or septic tanks.
Access to the public sewerage networks is limited at 12.5% indicating the importance of
improving urban infrastructure in a city that receives millions of pilgrims every year.
Najaf received a score of 0.753 on the socio-economic development index, a value near
the middle of the range. High values for mean years of schooling and annual household income
boosted its score against the average figures for life expectancy at birth and ownership of
housing. As in other pilgrimage cities worldwide, accommodations are needed for transient
populations. The quality of life is recorded with a mid to high value of 0.687. Values for access
to drinking water, sanitation, private transportation and electricity were high, while variables for
health, information and housing were lower. Deprivation in Najaf stood at 0.226, a value which
is low due primarily to the low levels of total and youth unemployment.
Kerbela
With a total governorate population of just over 1.25 million in 2015, Kerbela city and its
suburbs accounts for 79.0% of the population. As of 2016 more than 10,000 IDP families had
moved to Kerbela with the majority originating in Ninewa. It is a major pilgrimage site and its
population soars twice yearly at the time of the major religious pilgrimage dates of Ashura and
Arbaeen; an estimated 15 million pilgrims visited the city during in 2013 and their numbers can
once again reach this level and grow after the end of the conflict.
Kerbela’s GDP per capita of $7,512 falls within the second lowest quintile as does the
annual household income of $18,770. The 12.8% of the population living in poverty is lower
than the national average and is comparable to that of the surrounding governorates. The total
unemployment rate and the youth unemployment rate are low with values of 5.5% and 8.0%
respectively. The youth unemployment rate is third lowest in the country and the youth illiteracy
rate of 16.9% is slightly better than in Najaf. Total illiteracy rates show that 1 in 5 are illiterate,
similar to education trends in southern Iraq.
The life expectancy at birth is below the national average with a value of 70.4 years
although the range of variation within this indicator is limited. An infant mortality rate of 18.4 is
similar to surrounding governorates but high within the country despite Kerbela having the
highest value of doctors per 10,000 people with a value of 12.6 among the governorates. Living
conditions and access to social amenities within Kerbela show that ownership of housing lies
below the national average at 80.0%, due to the necessity of providing rental accommodations
for pilgrims and visitors. The percent of households with access to water is among the higher
reported values at 78.9%. The percent of households with access to improved sanitation is
within the second highest quintile at 64.5 %, but those connected to the public network at 27.0%
22
implies that a major effort is needed to upgrade the quality of services in the city to
accommodate peak loads during the pilgrimage season.
The socio-economic development index was low in Kerbela with a value of 0.732 due to
lower levels for home ownership, mean years of schooling and life expectancy, explained in part
by the proximity of the governorate to the ongoing conflict areas. A score of 0.690 was
attributed to Kerbela in the quality of life index. This average value is due to the balance of
higher levels of access to water, sanitation and information and lower levels of housing
ownership. Deprivation was recorded at 0.208, due primarily to the lower levels of total and
youth unemployment, a common characteristic of pilgrimage destinations. The availability of
job opportunities for youth should not mask the relatively low score in mean years of schooling.
23
Central Cluster
Key Indicators
%
Urban
GDP
per
Capita
($US)
Annual
Household
Income
($US)
Poverty
Rate (%)
Unemployment
Rate (%)
Youth
Unemployment
Rate (%)
Infant
Mortality
Rate
Households
with Access
to Drinking
water (%)
Babil 52% $7,548 $15,813 14.5 6.2 10.9 18.6 93.2
Wassit 64% $6,574 $18,903 26.1 8.4 12.2 12.9 57.1
Qadissiya 63% $5,314 $14,285 44.1 11.2 19.8 20.5 87.0
Iraq 64% $7,305 $18,510 21.1 8.9 14.9 16.3 67.2
Wasit
Wasit is the largest governorate within the central cluster by area with an estimated
population of 1.4 million in 2015. More than 4,300 IDP families have settled in the governorate.
Both GDP per capita and annual household income are within the second lowest quintiles with
values of $6,574 and $18,903 respectively although the latter is the highest among the central
cluster governorates and is slightly above the national average. The poverty rate was recorded at
26.1% which is in the middle quintile for the country. The large portion of arid land in the center
of the governorate results in most settlements being located around main transportation routes.
Unemployment rates for the total population as well as for the youth cohort are low at 8.4% and
12.2% respectively. Health indicators showed relatively strong values with the average life
expectancy equal to that of the national average and infant mortality, recorded at 12.9, lower than
the national average and the lowest among the central cluster governorates. Access to health
24
care services, represented by the number of doctors per 10,000 people, recorded a value of 6.9.
The total illiteracy rate of 24.2% and youth illiteracy rate of 19.5% fall within the middle
quintiles of their respective scales showing an improved situation to that of the governorates to
the south.
Social and utility service indicators in Wasit reflect the shared strengths and weaknesses
of other governorates located along the Tigris. On par with the national average, ownership of
housing was reported at 84.0 % which is common among governorates that are largely rural.
Access to drinking water was recorded at a value of 57.1% and is in the second lowest quintile,
primarily due to environmental challenges of increasing salinity and deficiencies in the water
distribution system. Electricity and access to information via TV are unsurprisingly high with
values of 99.4% and 96.9% respectively. Access to sanitation through connection to the public
network or through septic tanks was reported at 56.3%, although the value falls to 11.4% when
recording only the connection to a public network indicating a need for improved urban and rural
infrastructure.
Wasit received a relatively high score of 0.758 in the socio-economic development index
due to its comparatively higher levels within the health, education and economy variables. The
quality of life score of 0.590 falls within the lowest quintile. Lower values in access to water,
sanitation and health care contributed to the overall score despite higher values for access to
electricity and information. Deprivation in Wasit fell in the middle quintile with a recorded value
of 0.267. The lower levels of health and income indicators were offset by the higher level of
mean years of schooling and comparatively lower unemployment rates.
Qadissiya
The population for the governorate of Qadissiya in 2015 was estimated at 1.3 million.
Despite its proximity to Anbar, IDP households that have resettled within the governorate were
about 4,300 due to its rural character. Qadissiya has a GDP per capita lower than the national
average with a value of $5,314. The average annual household income is equally as low among
the other central cluster governorates with a value of $14,285, the second lowest in the country.
These figures translate into the second highest poverty rate of 44.1% according to the 2014
Human Development Report of Iraq. With the main national motorway traversing directly
through the middle of Qadissiya, opportunities for transport related development must seek to
spur growth while reconnecting the spatial divide. Total unemployment was recorded at 11.2%
while youth unemployment showed that nearly one in five lacked job opportunities. Indicators
of health revealed Qadissiya to be within the second lowest quintile for life expectancy with a
value of 71.5 and the second highest quintile for infant mortality at 20.5, in part due to the low
level of access to health care with 6.2 doctors per 10,000 people. Education statistics recorded
the third highest value for mean years of schooling at 8.1, although values for total illiteracy and
youth illiteracy at 28.5% and 26.7% respectively point to the necessity of integrating educational
and training as part of rural development programs.
Ownership of housing is the lowest within the central cluster governorates and third
lowest nationally with value of 79%. Measures of social welfare and access to social services
are lagging. Access to improved sanitation through a public network or septic tanks in Qadissiya
is low with a value of 44% and is even lower at 12.5% when considering connection to the
public sewerage network. However, according to the Iraqi Knowledge Network Survey of 2011
access to drinking water was high with a value of 87%.
25
Qadissiya received a score of 0.737 on the socio-economic development index which is
within the lowest quintile and is third lowest nationally. A combination of comparatively low
values among indicators of health, housing and income contributed to the low overall score.
Using either GDP per capita or annual household income as the income variable in the index
calculation had no drastic effect on the relative ranking of Qadissiya as values in both fields are
low. Quality of life was calculated at 0.584, the second lowest value in Iraq primarily due to
lower levels of home ownership and limited access to health care services, information,
sanitation and transportation, indicating a need to improve the governorate’s urban and rural
infrastructure. However, deprivation was moderate to low in Quadissiya with a score of 0.222
which falls within the second lowest quintile, indicating a relatively low level of deprivation.
Higher values for access to drinking water and education helped boost the score somewhat.
Babylon
Babylon, located directly to the south of Baghdad, had a population estimated at over 2.1
million in 2015. The proximity of Babylon to Baghdad explains the nearly 10,000 IDP families
that have moved into the governorate from the northern conflict area. It also explains to a certain
extent the observed features documented by the indicators. The national motorway traverses
directly through the governorate, spatially splitting the area. While GDP per capita was
calculated as the fifth highest in the country, the annual household income falls within the lowest
quintile at a value of $15,813 reflecting a disparity in economic resource distribution. Poverty is
lowest among the central cluster governorates with a rate of 14.5%. Employment indicators
recorded a low total unemployment rate of 6.2% and a youth unemployment rate of 10.9 %. The
availability of health care services in Babylon is low as the number of doctors per 10,000 people
was recorded at 9.2. This translates into Babylon having a life expectance nearly equal to that of
Wasit at 72.7, and an infant mortality rate of 18.6 which falls in the second highest quintile.
Total illiteracy and youth illiteracy are both within the second lowest quintiles with rates of
17.1% and 12.1% respectively, making Babylon the highest ranking governorate in terms of
education within the central cluster due to the spillover effects of its proximity to the national
capital.
Indicators for standards of living reflect a comparatively positive situation. Ownership of
housing, reported at 72%, places Babylon at the top of its cluster and third nationally. Access to
drinking water stood at 93.2%, the highest in the country and 71 % reported access to improved
sanitation placing Babylon within the second highest quintile. Access to sanitation through
connections to the public network at 2.4% however, show the need for upgrading and extending
the system and improving conditions in IDP settlements.
Babylon scored 0.759 on the socio-economic development index using household income
as the income variable, giving the governorate a rank of 8th
nationally although its position rises
to 4th
if GDP per capita is used. The relatively higher economic output per capita, indicates a
strong development potential within the governorate. Quality of life was calculated at 0.703, the
third highest governorate score due to the levels of home ownership and access to water and
sanitation. Babylon received the best score regarding deprivation nationally due lower levels of
unemployment, especially among the youth cohort and higher levels of access to drinking water
and mean years of schooling.
26
Conclusion
Any strategic planning effort demands looking beyond jurisdictional boundaries to
understand the complexity of the global economy, the rapid pace of technological innovations
and the changing demographic, lifestyle and mobility patterns of the population. These
dynamics underpin the formulation of visions, the definition of strategic objectives and the
setting of targets to be met along the path towards achieving the principles embodied in the
Sustainable Development Goals and New Urban Agenda.
Strategic planning also requires looking within to build capacity, retain skilled staff and
launch programs focused on priority issues and articulate achievement targets in the next 4 to 5
years. The NUS framework provides the guiding orientations and highlights the key elements to
ensure effective use of scarce resources and direct them towards the strengthening of local
sustainability and resilience. Assessment of challenges and opportunities and the statistical
analysis undertaken at the national and governorate levels document and present the key issues
faced. Use of the participatory platform enables feedback and inputs to be provided by decision
makers at all levels of governance and the broad range of stakeholders assembled by the LADPII
committees in the governorates. Different perspectives and viewpoints in combination guide the
development of programs and projects to include in the budget cycle. Demonstrating impact in
tackling challenges can be leveraged to access new or expanded funding resources.
The governorate councils are responsible for urban planning and management and can
recommend measures to achieve the governorate vision and goals. Lacking appropriate tools to
design and implement programs and projects limits their capacity to promote sustainable growth
and foster urban resiliency in the settlements within their jurisdiction. The ongoing conflict in
parts of the country creates for the most affected governorates severe challenges that require
crisis and disaster management measures overshadowing development issues. Planning in the
short and medium term has to adopt a strategic approach. Governorate councils have to establish
economic, social and environmental priorities and targets inspired by the SDGs 2030 and the
NUA and annually assess achievements including progress at alleviating constraints and
impediments hampering performance.
Participation generates public engagement. Assembling and discussing the strategic
orientation briefs prepared for each governorate allows stakeholders to better understand the
implications of the objectives they have set in their structure plans for their governorates and
cities. It also allows the identification of successful measures and practices and the sharing of
information among all the governorates. Assessing the ingredients of success underpinning the
initiatives that have performed expands their usefulness as models to inspire emulation.
Stakeholders and citizens whether members of local councils, commissions, or committees or
actively involved out of concern or interest can contribute ideas that should be considered by the
decision makers since all stakeholder have a role in the implementation of the action plans.
Prevailing budget constraints entail rigorous setting of priorities and targets.
In the short term it is important that action plans focus on human development and
schooling of children as well as urgent repair of destroyed and damaged urban and rural
infrastructure. The medium term perspective should seek to create a more sustainable growth
path strengthening all the dimensions contributing to human development, promoting
diversification of the economy, conservation of water resources and ecosystems, and expanded
use of renewable energy. This pathway requires governorates to build up the resilience of cities
27
of all sizes. The longer time horizon needed for the implementation of these policies entails
setting specific strategic objectives and targets along the path.
Budget constraints also entail that development strategies must look to catalytic actions
that have significant multiplier and spillover effects and can bring about change and spur growth.
New approaches to interaction with the natural environment that has suffered degradation
through successive wars and conflicts compounded by exploitation, overconsumption and
uncontrolled urbanization are needed to foster sustainability and build urban resilience.
Conflicting uses of land and water resources between extractive industries,
manufacturing, urban development activities and agriculture and ecosystem restoration have to
be addressed, particularly in the southern governorates.
There is a pressing need for the creative redefinition of the challenges listed in the
governorate structure plans so they can be addressed in ways that encourage effective public and
private investment. Guiding orientations for achieving this approach are listed below.
1) Engaging all stakeholders including national and governorate officials, council members,
local business representatives and citizens whether they are involved through local
entities or the LADPII committees in their governorates in visualizing growth scenarios
and action plans. Participatory processes are critical in helping citizens understand the
impact of alternative development options and how they can shape the future of their
governorates and cities through active participation in planning and management.
2) Creating new platforms for participation adapted to local conditions and cultural
preferences to ensure transparency and communicate information while building capacity
through a better understanding of problems and options by focusing discussion on key
components of complex issues, rather than diluting complexity in unrealistic
oversimplification.
3) Consolidating the integrative role of governorates as the jurisdiction legally empowered
to act cross sectorally within its geographic boundaries. This will require a reorientation
of current planning since the structure plans are still primarily sectoral and lack an
integrated perspective. They also lack consideration of potential rural/urban linkages.
4) Enhancing the effectiveness of spatial planning and land management at all levels of
governance particularly when developing new urban expansions.
5) Fostering adaptation to the anticipated shortage of water resources and impacts of climate
change in programs to support agriculture and rural development and ecosystem
restoration.
6) Understanding the necessity of speed of delivery of proposed catalytic actions in post
conflict situations where political pressure to restore access to infrastructure, housing and
social services is particularly high.
28
Indicator Visualizations
Economic Indicators
GNI per Capita ($US PPP)
GDP per Capita ($US)
Annual Household Income ($US)
Percentage of Population in Poverty
Unemployment Rate
Youth Unemployment Rate
Employment Rate by Gender
Health Indicators
Life Expectancy at Birth
Infant Mortality Rate
Number of Doctors per 10,000 People
Education Indicators
Mean Years of Schooling
Mean Years of Schooling by Gender
Total Illiteracy Rate
Illiteracy Rate of Population aged 15-29
Social Services Indicators
Ownership of Housing
Household with Means of Auto Transportation
Households with Access to Drinking Water
Households with Access to Sanitation
- Public Networks and Septic Tanks
- Public Networks
Households with Access to Information via TV
29
GNI Per Capita ($US PPP) Economic Indicator
Governorate Name Rank Order GNI per capita ($US PPP)
Anbar 4 $ 25,629
Babylon 5 $ 24,215
Baghdad 10 $ 21,587
Basrah 1 $ 44,220
Dahouk 13 1 8,602
Diyala 18 $ 14,680
Erbil 8 $ 22,301
Kerbela 6 $ 24,099
Kirkuk 2 $ 42,251
Missan 3 $ 34,598
Muthanna 17 $ 15,110
Najaf 16 $ 15,110
Ninewa 15 $ 15,116
Qadissiya 14 $ 17,048
Salah al-Din 12 $ 20,219
Sulaymaniyah 9 $ 21,833
Thi-Qar 7 $ 23,744
Wasit 11 $ 21,091
30
GDP Per Capita ($US) Economic Indicator
Governorate Name Rank Order GDP per capita ($US)
Anbar 4 $ 7,989
Babylon 5 $ 7,548
Baghdad 10 $ 6,729
Basra 1 $ 13,785
Dahouk 13 $ 5,799
Diyala 18 $ 4,576
Erbil 8 $ 6,952
Kerbela 6 $ 7,512
Kirkuk 2 $ 13,171
Missan 3 $ 10,785
Muthanna 15 $ 4,831
Najaf 17 $ 4,710
Ninewa 16 $ 4,712
Qadissiya 14 $ 5,314
Salah al-Din 12 $ 6,303
Sulaymaniyah 9 $ 6,806
Thi-Qar 7 $7,402
Wasit 11 $ 6,574
31
Annual Household Income ($US) Economic Indicator
Governorate Name Rank Order Annual Household Income ($US)
Anbar 15 $ 15,420
Babylon 14 $ 15,813
Baghdad 3 $ 22,096
Basra 10 $ 18,065
Dahouk 2 $ 24,542
Diyala 18 $ 13,276
Erbil 1 $ 28,100
Kerbela 9 $ 18,770
Kirkuk 4 $ 20,256
Missan 6 $ 19,700
Muthanna 16 $ 14,967
Najaf 5 $ 19,860
Ninewa 13 $ 16,103
Qadissiya 17 $ 14,285
Salah al-Din 12 $ 16,780
Sulaymaniyah 8 $ 18,862
Thi-Qar 11 $ 17,387
Wasit 7 $ 18,903
32
Poverty Economic Indicator
Governorate Name Rank Order Poverty
Anbar 10 15.4
Babylon 8 14.5
Baghdad 6 12.0
Basra 9 14.9
Dahouk 3 5.8
Diyala 12 20.5
Erbil 2 4.5
Kerbela 7 12.4
Kirkuk 4 9.1
Missan 16 42.3
Muthanna 18 52.5
Najaf 5 10.8
Ninewa 14 35.8
Qadissiya 17 44.1
Salah al-Din 11 16.6
Sulaymaniyah 1 2.0
Thi-Qar 15 40.9
Wasit 13 26.1
33
Total Unemployment Rate Economic Indicator
Governorate Name Rank Order Total Unemployment Rate (%)
Anbar 17 15.7
Babylon 5 6.2
Baghdad 7 6.6
Basra 9 7.4
Dahouk 6 6.4
Diyala 16 13.6
Erbil 2 4.0
Kerbela 4 5.5
Kirkuk 1 2.4
Missan 15 12.9
Muthanna 14 12.9
Najaf 10 7.6
Ninewa 3 5.3
Qadissiya 13 11.2
Salah al-Din 12 10.7
Sulaymaniyah 8 7.4
Thi-Qar 18 16.5
Wasit 11 8.4
34
Youth Unemployment Rate for Economic Indicator
Population Aged 15-29
Governorate Name Rank Order Youth Unemployment (age 15-29) (%)
Anbar 17 26.7
Babylon 7 10.9
Baghdad 9 11.8
Basra 11 16.1
Dahouk 5 9.9
Diyala 15 21.3
Erbil 2 7.4
Kerbela 3 8.0
Kirkuk 1 5.8
Missan 16 23.0
Muthanna 13 18.7
Najaf 8 11.1
Ninewa 4 9.6
Qadissiya 14 19.8
Salah al-Din 12 16.5
Sulaymaniyah 6 10.6
Thi-Qar 18 29.2
Wasit 10 12.2
35
Percent Employment by Gender Economic Indicator
Governorate Name Rank Order Employment (Male) Rank Order Employment (Female)
Anbar 6 73.4 1 19.5
Babylon 11 71.4 4 17.3
Baghdad 9 72.6 8 14.5
Basra 10 72.5 14 9.6
Dahouk 18 64.5 13 10.6
Diyala 14 70.3 10 12.1
Erbil 16 68.4 5 15.5
Kerbela 4 73.8 17 8.7
Kirkuk 7 73.3 9 12.6
Missan 3 74.2 12 11.1
Muthanna 1 75.0 18 6.5
Najaf 2 74.9 3 17.6
Ninewa 8 73.3 16 8.9
Qadissiya 12 70.9 11 11.4
Salah al-Din 13 70.6 7 14.8
Sulaymaniyah 17 68.0 6 14.9
Thi-Qar 15 69.0 15 9.6
Wasit 5 73.7 2 19.0
36
Life Expectancy at Birth Health Indicator
Governorate Name Rank Order Life Expectancy at Birth
(years)
Anbar 17 -
Babylon 8 72.7
Baghdad 16 68.9
Basra 5 73.2
Dahouk 3 73.8
Diyala 15 70.2
Erbil 6 72.7
Kerbela 14 70.4
Kirkuk 13 71.5
Missan 1 75.9
Muthanna 7 72.7
Najaf 9 72.7
Ninewa 4 73.5
Qadissiya 12 71.5
Salah al-Din 17 -
Sulaymaniyah 2 75.5
Thi-Qar 11 72.0
Wasit 10 72.6
37
Infant Mortality Rate Health Indicator
Governorate Name Rank Order Infant Mortality Rate
Anbar 18 -
Babylon 10 18.6
Baghdad 14 21.4
Basra 16 24.8
Dahouk 11 18.8
Diyala 7 16.3
Erbil 2 4.02
Kerbela 9 18.4
Kirkuk 8 18.2
Missan 1 1.6
Muthanna 3 10.0
Najaf 15 24.4
Ninewa 17 25.5
Qadissiya 13 20.5
Salah al-Din 5 11.1
Sulaymaniyah 4 11.0
Thi-Qar 12 19.7
Wasit 6 12.9
38
Number of Doctors per Health Indicator
10,000 People
Governorate Name Rank Order Doctors per 10,000 People
Anbar 17 -
Babylon 6 9.2
Baghdad 4 10.6
Basra 8 8.4
Dahouk 5 10.3
Diyala 15 6.2
Erbil 1 17.1
Kerbela 3 12.6
Kirkuk 9 7.6
Missan 14 6.2
Muthanna 11 6.7
Najaf 7 8.6
Ninewa 17 -
Qadissiya 13 6.2
Salah al-Din 12 6.3
Sulaymaniyah 2 13.7
Thi-Qar 16 5.2
Wasit 10 6.9
39
Mean Years of Schooling Education Indicator
Governorate Name Rank Order Mean Years of Schooling
Anbar 14 7.5
Babylon 13 7.5
Baghdad 1 8.8
Basra 2 8.1
Dahouk 9 7.7
Diyala 4 8.0
Erbil 18 -
Kerbela 11 7.6
Kirkuk 12 7.6
Missan 16 7.4
Muthanna 17 6.8
Najaf 8 7.7
Ninewa 15 7.5
Qadissiya 3 8.1
Salah al-Din 10 7.6
Sulaymaniyah 7 7.8
Thi-Qar 6 7.8
Wasit 5 7.9
40
Mean Years of Schooling by Gender Education Indicator
Governorate
Name Rank Order
Mean Years of
Schooling (Male) Rank Order
Mean Years of
Schooling
(Female)
Anbar 7 8.1 16 6.7
Babylon 12 7.9 14 7.0
Baghdad 1 9.1 1 8.6
Basra 6 8.2 3 7.9
Dahouk 16 7.7 5 7.6
Diyala 2 8.5 9 7.4
Erbil 18 - 18 -
Kerbela 15 7.7 7 7.5
Kirkuk 9 8.0 11 7.1
Missan 14 7.7 13 7.0
Muthanna 17 7.1 17 6.5
Najaf 8 8.0 10 7.3
Ninewa 11 7.9 12 7.0
Qadissiya 4 8.3 2 7.9
Salah al-Din 5 8.2 15 6.8
Sulaymaniyah 13 7.8 4 7.8
Thi-Qar 10 7.9 6 7.5
Wasit 3 8.3 8 7.4
41
Total Illiteracy Rate Education Indicator
Governorate Name Rank Order Illiteracy Rate
Anbar 4 18.0
Babylon 3 17.1
Baghdad 1 11.9
Basra 5 18.1
Dahouk 16 30.7
Diyala 2 15.8
Erbil 13 26.7
Kerbela 7 20.6
Kirkuk 6 18.5
Missan 17 30.8
Muthanna 18 32.9
Najaf 10 23.6
Ninewa 12 24.5
Qadissiya 14 28.5
Salah al-Din 8 23.2
Sulaymaniyah 9 23.4
Thi-Qar 15 28.6
Wasit 11 24.2
42
Illiteracy Rate for Population Education Indicator
Aged 15-29
Governorate Name Rank Order Youth Illiteracy Rate
Anbar 6 12.4
Babylon 5 12.1
Baghdad 2 8.1
Basra 7 15.0
Dahouk 13 20.3
Diyala 1 7.6
Erbil 9 17.7
Kerbela 8 16.9
Kirkuk 4 11.0
Missan 18 27.8
Muthanna 16 25.9
Najaf 14 22.0
Ninewa 12 20.1
Qadissiya 17 26.7
Salah al-Din 10 18.3
Sulaymaniyah 3 9.3
Thi-Qar 15 24.4
Wasit 11 19.5
43
Ownership of Housing Social Services Indicator
(paid or with mortgage)
Governorate Name Rank Order Ownership of Housing (paid or with
mortgage) (%)
Anbar 10 84%
Babylon 3 92%
Baghdad 18 77%
Basra 6 86%
Dahouk 11 83%
Diyala 12 83%
Erbil 17 79%
Kerbela 15 80%
Kirkuk 14 80%
Missan 4 88%
Muthanna 1 94%
Najaf 13 83%
Ninewa 7 86%
Qadissiya 16 79%
Salah al-Din 5 87%
Sulaymaniyah 8 84%
Thi-Qar 2 92%
Wasit 9 84%
44
Percent of Households with Social Service Indicator
Means of Auto Transportation
Governorate Name Rank Order Households with a Means of
Transportation (car) (%)
Anbar 8 34.3
Babylon 10 26.7
Baghdad 4 40.7
Basra 16 21.2
Dahouk 6 39.2
Diyala 11 25.6
Erbil 1 55.6
Kerbela 12 25.4
Kirkuk 7 38.0
Missan 14 22.9
Muthanna 18 17.0
Najaf 9 31.0
Ninewa 5 39.4
Qadissiya 15 22.3
Salah al-Din 2 47.2
Sulaymaniyah 3 42.0
Thi-Qar 17 19.9
Wasit 13 23.5
45
Households with Access to Drinking Water Social Service Indicator
Governorate Name Rank Order Households with Access to Drinking
Water (within 1 hour) (%)
Anbar 16 41.1
Babylon 1 93.2
Baghdad 8 78.1
Basra 11 70.4
Dahouk 13 44.2
Diyala 14 44.0
Erbil 10 73.3
Kerbela 7 78.9
Kirkuk 6 80.8
Missan 17 38.9
Muthanna 5 83.9
Najaf 9 76.9
Ninewa 15 41.7
Qadissiya 4 87.0
Salah al-Din 18 38.2
Sulaymaniyah 3 89.5
Thi-Qar 2 92.2
Wasit 12 57.1
46
Percent of Households with Social Service Indicator
Access to Electricity
Governorate Name Rank Order Households with Access to Electricity
(%)
Anbar 8 99.5
Babylon 5 99.7
Baghdad 2 99.9
Basra 3 99.7
Dahouk 14 99.3
Diyala 13 99.3
Erbil 18 94.7
Kerbela 17 98.3
Kirkuk 1 100
Missan 4 99.7
Muthanna 11 99.3
Najaf 12 99.3
Ninewa 6 99.7
Qadissiya 16 98.7
Salah al-Din 7 99.6
Sulaymaniyah 15 99.1
Thi-Qar 10 99.3
Wasit 9 99.4
47
Percent of Households with Access Social Service Indicator
to Sanitation (Public Network + Septic Tank)
Governorate Name Rank Order Households with Access to Sanitation (%)
Anbar 2 91.7
Babylon 9 71.2
Baghdad 3 85.3
Basra 11 62.6
Dahouk 1 97.3
Diyala 6 79.0
Erbil 18 14.7
Kerbela 10 64.5
Kirkuk 17 28.6
Missan 12 60.7
Muthanna 7 77.3
Najaf 8 74.3
Ninewa 4 84.7
Qadissiya 16 44.0
Salah al-Din 14 52.6
Sulaymaniyah 5 83.1
Thi-Qar 15 51.6
Wasit 13 56.3
48
Percent of Households with Access Social Service Indicator
to Sanitation (Public Network)
Governorate Name Rank Order Households with Access to Sanitation (%)
Anbar 13 8.7
Babylon 17 2.4
Baghdad 2 66.4
Basra 5 24.8
Dahouk 14 5.5
Diyala 18 0.8
Erbil 8 14.7
Kerbela 4 27.0
Kirkuk 7 16.1
Missan 3 59.6
Muthanna 16 2.8
Najaf 10 12.5
Ninewa 15 5.4
Qadissiya 9 12.5
Salah al-Din 12 9.2
Sulaymaniyah 1 83.1
Thi-Qar 6 20.8
Wasit 11 11.4
49
Percent of Households with Social Service Indicator
Access to Information via TV
Governorate Name Rank Order Households with access to
Information via TV (%)
Anbar 15 96.2
Babylon 12 97.3
Baghdad 3 99.2
Basra 1 99.5
Dahouk 6 98.3
Diyala 4 98.8
Erbil 18 95.2
Kerbela 2 99.3
Kirkuk 5 98.3
Missan 11 97.5
Muthanna 9 97.8
Najaf 10 97.6
Ninewa 13 97.1
Qadissiya 16 95.9
Salah al-Din 17 95.4
Sulaymaniyah 8 98.1
Thi-Qar 7 98.1
Wasit 14 96.9
50
Statistical Annex
51
Sources
GNI PPP per capita ($S) Calculated from NUS Part 1
GDP per capita ($US) Calculated from NUS Part 1
Annual Household Income ($US) Socio-Economic Survey 2014
Poverty (%) Iraq Human Development Report 2014, Table 14
Total Unemployment Rate (%) Iraq Knowledge Network Survey 2011, Table 4-32
Youth Unemployment Rate (ages 15-29) Iraq Knowledge Network Survey 2011, Table 4-32
Total Employment Rate (Male) Iraq Knowledge Network Survey 2011, Table 4-32
Total Employment Rate (Female) Iraq Knowledge Network Survey 2011, Table 4-32
Life Expectancy at Birth (years) Ministry of Health 2015 Annual Report, Pg. 49
Infant Mortality Rate Ministry of Health 2015 Annual Report, Pg. 59
Doctors per 10,000 People Ministry of Health 2015 Annual Report, Pg. 238
Mean Years of Schooling Iraq Knowledge Network Survey 2011, Pg. 85
Mean Years of Schooling (Male) Iraq Knowledge Network Survey 2011, Pg. 85
Mean Years of Schooling (Female) Iraq Knowledge Network Survey 2011, Pg. 85
Total Illiteracy Rate (%) Iraq Knowledge Network Survey 2011, Table 3-1
Youth Illiteracy Rate (%) Iraq Human Development Report 2014, Table 17
Ownership of Housing (paid or with Mortgage) Iraq Knowledge Network Survey 2011, Table 6-3
Households with Access to Transportation (Car)
(%) Iraq Knowledge Network Survey 2011, Table 8-18
Households with Access to Drinking Water (%) Iraq Knowledge Network Survey 2011, Table 5-2
Households with Access to Electricity (%) Iraq Knowledge Network Survey 2011, Table 5-10
Households with Access to Sanitation
(Public Network + Septic Tank) (%) Iraq Knowledge Network Survey 2011, Table 5-4
Households with Access to Information via TV
(%)
Iraq Knowledge Network Survey 2011, Table 8-
18b
Socio-Economic Development I2UD Calculated
Quality of Life I2UD Calculated
Deprivation I2UD Calculated
52
Values by Governorate
Anbar Babylon Baghdad Basra Dahouk Diyala Erbil Kerbela Kirkuk Missan Muthanna Najaf Ninewa Qadissiya
Salah al-
Din Sulaymaniyah Thi-Qar Wasit
GNI PPP per capita ($S) $25,629.47 $24,214.77 $21,587.44 $44,220.45 $18,601.63 $14,679.54 $22,300.84 $24,098.94 $42,250.94 $34,597.75 $15,110.08 $15,110.08 $15,116.43 $17,047.88 $20,219.30 $21,833.40 $23,744.20 $21,090.60
GDP per capita ($US) $7,989 $7,548 $6,729 $13,785 $5,799 $4,576 $6,952 $7,512 $13,171 $10,785 $4,831 $4,710 $4,712 $5,314 $6,303 $6,806 $7,402 $6,574
Annual Household Income ($US) $15,420 $15,813 $22,096 $18,065 $24,542 $13,276 $28,100 $18,770 $20,256 $19,700 $14,967 $19,860 $16,103 $14,285 $16,780 $18,862 $17,387 $18,903
Poverty (%) 15.4 14.5 12.0 14.9 5.8 20.5 4.5 12.4 9.1 42.3 52.5 10.8 35.8 44.1 16.6 2.0 40.9 26.1
Total Unemployment Rate (%) 15.7 6.2 6.6 7.4 6.4 13.6 4.0 5.5 2.4 12.9 12.9 7.6 5.3 11.2 10.7 7.4 16.5 8.4
Youth Unemployment Rate (ages 15-29) 26.7 10.9 11.8 16.1 9.9 21.3 7.4 8.0 5.8 23.0 18.7 11.1 9.6 19.8 16.5 10.6 29.2 12.2
Total Employment Rate (Male) 73.4 71.4 72.6 72.5 64.5 70.3 68.4 73.8 73.3 74.2 75.0 74.9 73.3 70.9 70.6 68.0 69.0 73.7
Total Employment Rate (Female) 19.5 17.3 14.5 9.6 10.6 12.1 15.5 8.7 12.6 11.1 6.5 17.6 8.9 11.4 14.8 14.9 9.6 19.0
Life Expectancy at Birth (years) - 72.7 68.9 73.2 73.8 70.2 72.7 70.4 71.5 75.9 72.7 72.7 73.5 71.5 - 75.5 72.0 72.6
Infant Mortality Rate - 18.6 21.4 24.8 18.8 16.3 4.02 18.4 18.2 1.6 10.0 24.4 25.5 20.5 11.1 11.0 19.7 12.9
Doctors per 10,000 People - 9.2 10.6 8.4 10.3 6.2 17.1 12.6 7.6 6.2 6.7 8.6 - 6.2 6.3 13.7 5.2 6.9
Mean Years of Schooling 7.5 7.5 8.8 8.1 7.7 8.0 - 7.6 7.6 7.4 6.8 7.7 7.5 8.1 7.6 7.8 7.8 7.9
Mean Years of Schooling (Male) 8.1 7.9 9.1 8.2 7.7 8.5 - 7.7 8.0 7.7 7.1 8.0 7.9 8.3 8.2 7.8 7.9 8.3
Mean Years of Schooling (Female) 6.7 7.0 8.6 7.9 7.6 7.4 - 7.5 7.1 7.0 6.5 7.3 7.0 7.9 6.8 7.8 7.5 7.4
Total Illiteracy Rate (%) 18.0 17.1 11.9 18.1 30.7 15.8 26.7 20.6 18.5 30.8 32.9 23.6 24.5 28.5 23.2 23.4 28.6 24.2
Youth Illiteracy Rate (%) 12.4 12.1 8.1 15.0 20.3 7.6 17.7 16.9 11.0 27.8 25.9 22 20.1 26.7 18.3 9.3 24.4 19.5
Ownership of Housing (paid or with Mortgage) (%) 84 92 77 86 83 83 79 80 80 88 94 83 86 79 87 84 92 84
Households with Access to Transportation (Car) (%) 34.3 26.7 40.7 21.2 39.2 25.6 55.6 25.4 38.0 22.9 17.0 31.0 39.4 22.3 47.2 42.0 19.9 23.5
Households with Access to Drinking Water (%) 41.1 93.2 78.1 70.4 44.2 44 73.3 78.9 80.8 38.9 83.9 76.9 41.7 87 38.2 89.5 92.2 57.1
Households with Access to Electricity (%) 99.5 99.7 99.9 99.7 99.3 99.3 94.7 98.3 100 99.7 99.3 99.3 99.7 98.7 99.6 99.1 99.3 99.4
Households with Access to Sanitation (%) 91.7 71.2 85.3 62.6 97.3 79.0 14.7 64.5 28.6 60.7 77.3 74.3 84.7 44.0 52.6 83.1 51.6 56.3
Households with Access to Information via TV (%) 96.2 97.3 99.2 99.5 98.3 98.8 95.2 99.3 98.3 97.5 97.8 97.6 97.1 95.9 95.4 98.1 98.1 96.9
Socio-Economic Development (HHI) 0.740 0.759 0.752 0.768 0.765 0.736 0.762 0.732 0.740 0.768 0.743 0.753 0.751 0.737 0.752 0.766 0.767 0.758
Socio-Economic Development (GDP per capita) 0.735 0.750 0.727 0.780 0.730 0.713 0.731 0.718 0.746 0.766 0.717 0.715 0.721 0.717 0.734 0.747 0.755 0.738
Quality of Life 0.659 0.703 0.745 0.630 0.700 0.595 0.637 0.690 0.608 0.558 0.629 0.687 0.670 0.584 0.602 0.798 0.593 0.590
Deprivation 0.357 0.163 0.213 0.247 0.269 0.331 0.203 0.208 0.178 0.337 0.245 0.226 0.271 0.222 0.318 0.180 0.211 0.267
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