Iraq: Bank liquid reserves to bank assets ratio (%)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Iraq's bank liquid reserves to bank assets ratio (%) fell 36.22 percentage points on 2023 (from 89.99% to 53.76%).

Across the 19 yearly changes before that (2005 to 2023), the average change was −1.45 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 26.28 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 57.61 percentage points in 2007 and the biggest yearly fall was 47.72 percentage points in 2009. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 21% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Iraq had the 2nd highest value of the 21 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Iraq in the 2024 ranking

• Czechia — 2nd of 21: 51.3%
• Malawi — 3rd of 21: 48.7%
• Comoros — 4th of 21: 47.03%

What this measures

Ratio of bank liquid reserves to bank assets is the ratio of domestic currency holdings and deposits with the monetary authorities to claims on other governments, nonfinancial public enterprises, the private sector, and other banking institutions. This indicator is expressed as a percentage (a÷b)*100.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a median.

All 21 values

Bank liquid reserves to bank assets ratio (%) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 86.89% (2020)
• Algeria — 20.1% (2025)
• Djibouti — 15.33% (2025)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 14.37% (2025)
• Israel — 21.96% (2025)
• Jordan — 22.56% (2025)
• Kuwait — 6.06% (2025)
• Libya — 315.45% (2025)
• Morocco — 3.5% (2025)
• Oman — 4.98% (2024)

More financial sector data for Iraq

• GDP deflator (base year varies by country) — 159.49 (2025)
• DEC alternative conversion factor (LCU per US$) — US$1,300 (2025)
• Inflation, GDP deflator (annual % growth) — -7.03% (2025)
• Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) — US$1,300 (2025)
• Consumer price index (2010 = 100) — 143.6 (2025)
• Inflation, consumer prices (annual % growth) — 0.3% (2025)
• Domestic credit to private sector by banks (% of GDP) — 13.99% (2024)
• Net domestic credit (current LCU) — 78.52 trillion (2024)
• Net foreign assets (current LCU) — 167.41 trillion (2024)
• Monetary sector credit to private sector (% of GDP)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

What is Iraq's bank liquid reserves to bank assets ratio (%)?

53.76% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2004?

It is down 63.86 percentage points from 117.63% in 2004. The highest value was 188.95% in 2008 and the lowest 53.76% in 2024.

How does Iraq rank?

2nd highest of 21 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in bank liquid reserves to bank assets ratio (%) unusual for Iraq?

In 2024, Iraq's bank liquid reserves to bank assets ratio (%) fell 36.22 percentage points on 2023 (from 89.99% to 53.76%). Across the 19 yearly changes before that (2005 to 2023), the average change was −1.45 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 26.28 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator FD.RES.LIQU.AS.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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