Iraq Interest Payments to Revenue
Interest payments as % of revenue GC.XPN.INTP.RV.ZS
Iraq's interest payments to revenue was 0.01% in 2019, ranked 2nd globally. This represents a 99.9% decrease from 2018. Data from World Bank, covering 2014–2019.
Overview
Iraq's interest payments to revenue stood at 0.01% in 2019, a decline of +5.25pp from 2018. Iraq ranked 2nd globally.
Iraq’s interest payments as a share of revenue fell dramatically between 2014 and 2019, moving from 0.68 % in the earliest year of the six‑year series to a trough of 0.01 % in 2019, the lowest level among all economies recorded by the World Bank. The sharpest rise occurred in 2018, when the ratio peaked at 5.26 %, reflecting a temporary surge in debt‑service costs before the rapid decline the following year. By contrast, the United Arab Emirates posted a comparable share of 0.00 % in the same period, while Timor‑Leste recorded 0.08 %, underscoring Iraq’s position near the bottom of the global distribution. The steep drop to 0.01 % in 2019 placed Iraq second worldwide for the smallest interest‑to‑revenue ratio, suggesting a substantial improvement in fiscal sustainability. Continued reduction of external borrowing and stable oil revenues will be crucial to maintain this low level and prevent a reversal of the downward trend.
Data & projection
| Year | Interest Payments to Revenue | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 0.01% | −5.25pp | #2 |
| 2018 | 5.26% | +2.27pp | #64 |
| 2017 | 2.99% | +0.41pp | #36 |
| 2016 | 2.58% | +1.48pp | #28 |
| 2015 | 1.10% | +0.42pp | #15 |
| 2014 | 0.68% | – | #11 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Iraq matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2022. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw interest payments to revenue improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Iraq's interest payments to revenue was 0.01% in 2019. Ranked 2nd globally. This represents a 99.9% decrease from the previous year.
Iraq's interest payments to revenue peaked at 5.26% in 2018.
The lowest interest payments to revenue in Iraq was 0.01% in 2019.
Iraq ranks 2nd globally in interest payments to revenue as of 2019.
The World Bank indicator code is GC.XPN.INTP.RV.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
The interest payments to revenue of Iraq in 2019 was 0.01%. This ranks 2nd in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_iraq_interest-to-revenue,
title = {Iraq Interest Payments to Revenue},
url = {https://historysaid.com/iraq/interest-to-revenue/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}