Iraq’s domestic debt rises to $73 billion
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) revealed on Wednesday that the country’s domestic public debt rose to 95.7 trillion dinars ($73 billion) by the end of April 2026.
According to the CBI data, Iraq’s domestic public debt rose to 95.67 trillion Iraqi dinars ($73 billion) by the end of April 2026, compared to 90.51 trillion dinars ($69.1 billion) recorded at the end of 2025, representing an increase of 5.16 trillion dinars ($3.9 billion).
In 2024, the domestic debt in Iraq stood at 83.05 trillion Iraqi dinars (approximately $63.4 billion).
The increase was driven by a rise in the Ministry of Finance’s total liabilities to the CBI to 55.69 trillion Iraqi dinars (around $42.5 billion) as of April 2026, compared to 45.69 trillion Iraqi dinars (about $34.9 billion) in 2025.
According to the statistics, domestic debt increased during the first four months of 2026, while external debt dropped in comparison to prior years.
Iraq’s external debt stood at $54.101 billion in 2025, compared to $54.601 billion in 2024 and $56.207 billion in 2023, marking a total drop of $2.106 billion over two years, according to the CBI.
In January, the Iraqi government started studying approaches to reschedule and manage the country’s public debt.
Senior officials in the Iraqi financial sector and representatives from Oliver Wyman, a renowned firm specializing in financial audits, emphasized the significance of developing medium-term plans customized to the nature of the debt, Iraq’s credit rating, and key global indicators.
The officials also highlighted the need to draw up budgets based on realistic evaluations of the country’s available finances and execution capabilities.
Former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said that a plan for public debt management must include the development of successful implementation strategies within a framework consistent with long-term economic transformation.
Al-Sudani urged the Finance Ministry, the CBI, and financial advisers to continue working with Oliver Wyman to build the most effective frameworks and financial mechanisms for controlling public debt in line with Iraq’s solid financial indicators that promote economic growth.