Poverty and living standards in Najaf, Iraq: official figures
25.2% of people in Najaf lived below the national poverty line in 2024, 5th highest of 18 governorates and against 17.5% for Iraq.
Has poverty in Najaf risen or fallen?
The income poverty rate in Najaf was 24.4% in 2007, 10.8% in 2012, 12.6% in 2018 and 25.2% in 2024, up 12.6 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 Najaf are multidimensionally poor?
40.4% of people in Najaf 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 8th highest 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 Najaf?
Najaf's Multidimensional Poverty Index value was 0.120 in 2024 (8th highest of 18 governorates), against 0.108 for Iraq. On average poor people there were deprived in 29.7% 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 Najaf?
19.4% of people in Najaf were deprived on early marriage in 2024, an indicator in Iraq's multidimensional poverty index, against 25.7% across Iraq (4th lowest 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 Najaf compares with other governorates
Income poverty rate (2024) (2024)
Najaf ranks 5 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Babil | 34.4% |
| 3 | Al-Qadisiyah | 28.9% |
| 4 | Basra | 27.9% |
| 5 | Najaf | 25.2% |
| 6 | Anbar | 20.9% |
| 7 | Karbala | 19.9% |
| 8 | Wasit | 19.3% |
People living in multidimensional poverty (2024) (2024)
Najaf ranks 8 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Babil | 44.5% |
| 6 | Duhok | 42.0% |
| 7 | Nineveh | 40.7% |
| 8 | Najaf | 40.4% |
| 9 | Anbar | 40.0% |
| 10 | Sulaymaniyah | 38.6% |
| 11 | Wasit | 37.0% |
Multidimensional Poverty Index value (2024) (2024)
Najaf ranks 8 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Babil | 0.141 |
| 6 | Nineveh | 0.125 |
| 7 | Anbar | 0.124 |
| 8 | Najaf | 0.120 |
| 9 | Duhok | 0.117 |
| 10 | Wasit | 0.106 |
| 11 | Basra | 0.104 |
More on Najaf: 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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