Iraq: GDP per person employed (constant 2021 PPP $)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Iraq's GDP per person employed (constant 2021 PPP $) fell 2,710 on 2024 (from 57,002 to 54,291).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +964.93 and a typical year strayed about 5,981 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 15,228 in 2004 and the biggest yearly fall was 19,703 in 2003. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is downward, about 1,335 a year. A straight line explains 73% of the movement over 10 observed years.

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

How it compares

In 2025, Iraq had the 72nd highest value of the 168 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 2025 ranking

• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 69th of 168: 57,468
• Georgia — 70th of 168: 55,920
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 71st of 168: 55,756
• Dominican Republic — 73rd of 168: 54,043
• Suriname — 74th of 168: 52,265
• Armenia — 75th of 168: 50,463

What this measures

GDP per person employed is gross domestic product (GDP) divided by total employment in the economy. Purchasing power parity (PPP) GDP is GDP converted to 2021 constant international dollars using PPP rates. An international dollar has the same purchasing power over GDP that a U.S. dollar has in the United States.

Limitations: For comparability of individual sectors labor productivity is estimated according to national accounts conventions. However, there are still significant limitations on the availability of reliable data. Information on consistent series of output in both national currencies and purchasing power parity dollars is not easily available, especially in developing countries, because the definition, coverage, and methodology are not always consistent across countries. For example, countries employ different methodologies for estimating the missing values for the nonmarket service sectors and use different definitions of the informal sector.

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

All 35 values

GDP per person employed (constant 2021 PPP $) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 10,614 (2024)
• Algeria — 62,892 (2025)
• Bahrain — 106,772 (2025)
• Djibouti — 43,194 (2025)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 60,717 (2025)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 57,468 (2025)
• Israel — 104,695 (2025)
• Jordan — 46,257 (2025)
• Kuwait — 81,972 (2025)
• Lebanon — 39,998 (2023)

More social protection & labor data for Iraq

• Net migration — -1,064 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin — 270,671 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 322,345 (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 5.65% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 47.49% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 27.05% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 11.53% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate)

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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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Iraq's GDP per person employed (constant 2021 PPP $)?

54,291 in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1991?

It is up 203.05% from 17,915 in 1991 (3.31% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 70,116 in 2019 and the lowest 17,915 in 1991.

How does Iraq rank?

72nd highest of 168 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in GDP per person employed (constant 2021 PPP $) unusual for Iraq?

In 2025, Iraq's GDP per person employed (constant 2021 PPP $) fell 2,710 on 2024 (from 57,002 to 54,291). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +964.93 and a typical year strayed about 5,981 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.GDP.PCAP.EM.KD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), note: Estimates are based on employment, population, GDP, and PPP data obtained from International Labour Organization, United Nations Population Division, Eurostat, OECD, and World Bank., type: estimates based on external database; International Labour Organization… 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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