The World Bank All Books Iraq report sku-626099149

The World Bank sku-626099149 is an All Books paperback titled International Development in Focus: Breaking Out of Fragility: A Country Economic Memorandum for Diversification and Growth in Iraq. The report describes Iraq's political instability, social unrest and widening state-citizen divide almost two decades after the 2003 war.

It attributes Iraq's weak growth in 2020, its worst annual performance since the fall of the Saddam regime, to pressures including an oil price shock, the COVID-19 pandemic, protests, poor economic policies, limited reform and corruption. It examines why diversified growth, peace, stability and improved living standards have been difficult to achieve.

Conflict and dependence on oil constrain reform, while protests since October 2019 point to a need for structural change and more private-sector activity. The report estimates that Iraq's per capita GDP in 2018 was about one-fifth below what it would have been without the conflict that began in 2014.

It also identifies export potential and the possibility of reviving agriculture to support diversification, living standards and economic resilience.