Cash reserves in Iraq’s central bank decline sharply

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) revealed data on Monday indicating a sharp drop in cash reserves over the first four months of 2026, falling from 1.9 trillion Iraqi dinars ($1.45 billion) at the end of December 2025 to 566 billion Iraqi dinars ($432.7 million) by the end of April 2026.

According to the figures, cash reserves fell to 1.52 trillion Iraqi dinars ($1.16 billion) at the end of January, one trillion Iraqi dinars ($764.5 million) at the end of February, 849 billion Iraqi dinars ($649.1 million) at the end of March, and 566 billion Iraqi dinars ($432.7 million) at the end of April.

The analysis indicated that cash liquidity in the CBI’s vaults decreased by approximately 1.34 trillion Iraqi dinars (about $1.02 billion) over the four-month period, representing a 70.3 percent decline compared to December 2025, as reported by local news outlet Shafaq News.

Although cash liquidity remained greater than it was at the end of 2023, when it recorded 323 billion Iraqi dinars (nearly $247 million), it fell dramatically compared to the end of 2024, when it hit two trillion Iraqi dinars ($1.52 billion), marking a 72.9 percent decline.

On the other hand, the official exchange rate stayed steady at 1,300 dinars to the US dollar from January to April 2026, while inflation rose steadily from 0.9 percent in January to 1.7 percent by the end of April.