Iraq — Health spending
Health Spending (% of GDP) for Iraq, 2003–2023.
Health spending for Iraq was 5.53% in 2023, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 21 years, from 2003 to 2023. The highest recorded value was 5.73% in 2020. The lowest was 2.49% in 2006 (about 2.2× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 3.11% per year.
Iraq ranks 115 of 189 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 61%. The median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan is 5.57%, so Iraq sits below it. It peaked in 2020 and has fallen 3% since. Over the last decade (2013–2023) the figure moved up 97%. Within Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan it ranks 13 of 23 economies; United Arab Emirates (4.97%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 45% in 2016. That is 31% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
Doubling roughly every 23 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 170th of 187 in 2003 → 166th of 188 in 2010 → 120th of 189 in 2020 → 114th of 188 in 2023.
Key figures
Full history — 2003 to 2023
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 5.53% | +1.2 pp |
| 2022 | 4.33% | -0.8 pp |
| 2021 | 5.14% | -0.6 pp |
| 2020 | 5.73% | +1.5 pp |
| 2019 | 4.21% | +0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 4.08% | -0.0 pp |
| 2017 | 4.09% | -0.5 pp |
| 2016 | 4.57% | +1.4 pp |
| 2015 | 3.16% | +0.4 pp |
| 2014 | 2.79% | -0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 2.81% | +0.1 pp |
| 2012 | 2.69% | -0.1 pp |
| 2011 | 2.8% | -0.4 pp |
| 2010 | 3.24% | -0.5 pp |
| 2009 | 3.77% | +0.7 pp |
| 2008 | 3.07% | -0.1 pp |
| 2007 | 3.21% | +0.7 pp |
| 2006 | 2.49% | -0.5 pp |
| 2005 | 3.02% | -0.9 pp |
| 2004 | 3.9% | +0.9 pp |
| 2003 | 3% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Iraq’s Health spending in 2004?
3.9% (2004). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of GDP, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Iraq’s Health spending growing or shrinking?
Between 2003 and 2023 the series was growing overall: +84.6% in total — about 3.1% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2023: 5.53%; 2022: 4.33%; 2021: 5.14%; 2020: 5.73%; 2019: 4.21%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS — Health Spending (% of GDP). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.