• December 30, 2009

Iraq’s economic growth rate improved in 2008 as oil production neared its prewar peak, but per capita income remains well below prewar levels, and poverty—though the rates are declining—threatens political and economic stability and recovery.

In a data-intensive report released under the USAID-funded Country Analytics project, Nathan Associates concludes that Iraq’s precarious security situation continues to depress manufacturing, agriculture, and private investment. The report

  • Compares Iraq’s performance on about 100 economic, conflict-related, and social indicators against norms for countries with similar characteristics;
  • Offers insight on Iraq’s economic performance on the basis of this comparison; and
  • Suggests how some of Iraq’s problems can be approached even as security remains uncertain.

The report analyzes a wide range of subjects, from government capacity, macroeconomic and trade policies, and the business environment, to economic infrastructure, gender equity, health, education, and employment. A full copy of Iraq: Economic Recovery Assessment, can be downloaded from CountryCompass, the Country Analytics project website.

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