Iraq: Total natural resources rents (% of GDP)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2021, Iraq's total natural resources rents (% of GDP) rose 16.03 percentage points on 2020 (from 27.42% to 43.45%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1987 to 2020), the average change was −1.49 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 11.42 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.5 standard deviations above 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 33.36 percentage points in 1974 and the biggest yearly fall was 44.36 percentage points in 1995. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2012 to 2021 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 24% 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 2021, Iraq had the 3rd highest value of the 196 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 2021 ranking

• Libya — 1st of 196: 61.03%
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 3rd of 196: 38.83%
• Congo, Rep. — 4th of 196: 37.71%
• Zambia — 5th of 196: 35.26%

What this measures

Total natural resources rents are the sum of oil rents, natural gas rents, coal rents (hard and soft), mineral rents, and forest rents.

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

All 48 values

Total natural resources rents (% of GDP) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 0.43% (2021)
• Algeria — 22.59% (2021)
• Bahrain — 16.64% (2021)
• Djibouti — 0.28% (2021)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 5.14% (2021)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 30.45% (2021)
• Israel — 0.44% (2021)
• Jordan — 0.08% (2021)
• Kuwait — 29.28% (2020)
• Lebanon — 0.00276% (2021)

More environment data for Iraq

• Population in largest city — 8.14 million (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 24.76% (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million — 11.57 million (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 24.61% (2025)
• Rural population — 14.13 million (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 30.06% (2025)
• Urban population — 32.89 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 69.94% (2025)
• Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 15,535 (2024)
• Capture fisheries production (metric tons)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Iraq's total natural resources rents (% of GDP)?

43.45% in 2021, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 27.41 percentage points from 16.03% in 1970. The highest value was 67.44% in 1994 and the lowest 9.5% in 1990.

How does Iraq rank?

3rd highest of 196 economies with data for 2021.

Is the latest change in total natural resources rents (% of GDP) unusual for Iraq?

In 2021, Iraq's total natural resources rents (% of GDP) rose 16.03 percentage points on 2020 (from 27.42% to 43.45%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1987 to 2020), the average change was −1.49 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 11.42 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.5 standard deviations above 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 NY.GDP.TOTL.RT.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank (WB), uri: https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/changing-wealth-of-nations/data, note: World Bank staff estimates based on sources and methods described in the World Bank's The Changing Wealth of Nations., publisher: World Bank (WB); Staff estimates, Wo… 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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