Poverty and living standards in Karbala, Iraq: official figures
19.9% of people in Karbala lived below the national poverty line in 2024, 7th highest of 18 governorates and against 17.5% for Iraq.
Has poverty in Karbala risen or fallen?
The income poverty rate in Karbala was 36.9% in 2007, 12.4% in 2012, 13.8% in 2018 and 19.9% in 2024, up 6.1 percentage points since 2018 (Iraq: 20.1% to 17.5%).
Source: Ministry of Planning and Commission of Statistics and Geographic Information Systems, with UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) · saved copyHow many people in Karbala are multidimensionally poor?
33.0% of people in Karbala were multidimensionally poor in 2024, deprived in at least a fifth of the weighted indicators covering education, health, living standards, employment and shocks. That is 5th lowest of 18 governorates; the Iraq figure was 36.8%.
Source: Ministry of Planning and Commission of Statistics and Geographic Information Systems, with UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) · saved copyWhat is the multidimensional poverty index of Karbala?
Karbala's Multidimensional Poverty Index value was 0.097 in 2024 (5th lowest of 18 governorates), against 0.108 for Iraq. On average poor people there were deprived in 29.3% of the weighted indicators.
Source: Ministry of Planning and Commission of Statistics and Geographic Information Systems, with UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) · saved copyHow common is early marriage in Karbala?
36.8% of people in Karbala were deprived on early marriage in 2024, an indicator in Iraq's multidimensional poverty index, against 25.7% across Iraq (the highest of 18 governorates).
Source: Ministry of Planning and Commission of Statistics and Geographic Information Systems, with UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) · saved copyHow Karbala compares with other governorates
Income poverty rate (2024) (2024)
Karbala ranks 7 of 18, highest first. Share of people living below the national poverty line, Iraq Household Socio-Economic Survey 2023-24
| Rank | Region | Income poverty rate (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Basra | 27.9% |
| 5 | Najaf | 25.2% |
| 6 | Anbar | 20.9% |
| 7 | Karbala | 19.9% |
| 8 | Wasit | 19.3% |
| 9 | Salah al-Din | 18.7% |
| 10 | Diyala | 17.2% |
People living in multidimensional poverty (2024) (2024)
Karbala ranks 14 of 18, highest first. Share of people deprived in at least 20% of the weighted indicators (education, health, living standards, employment, shocks)
| Rank | Region | People living in multidimensional poverty (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Wasit | 37.0% |
| 12 | Erbil | 36.4% |
| 13 | Basra | 35.7% |
| 14 | Karbala | 33.0% |
| 15 | Dhi Qar | 31.2% |
| 16 | Diyala | 30.2% |
| 17 | Baghdad | 27.6% |
Multidimensional Poverty Index value (2024) (2024)
Karbala ranks 14 of 18, highest first. Incidence multiplied by intensity; 0 is no poverty, 1 is everyone deprived in everything
| Rank | Region | Multidimensional Poverty Index value (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Basra | 0.104 |
| 12 | Erbil | 0.104 |
| 13 | Sulaymaniyah | 0.102 |
| 14 | Karbala | 0.097 |
| 15 | Dhi Qar | 0.089 |
| 16 | Diyala | 0.089 |
| 17 | Baghdad | 0.078 |
More on Karbala: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · Iraq
Sources
- Ministry of Planning and Commission of Statistics and Geographic Information Systems, with UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI): Multidimensional Poverty in Iraq 2024: Analytical Report (Table 4, Table 16, Annex 2, Annex 3), based on the Iraq Household Socio-Economic Survey 2023-24, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 2918b603f085…)
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