Refugees in Iraq

Overall objectives

The main objective of this activity is to produce reliable and comparable socio-economic data on refugees and nationals in Iraq by including a dedicated refugee sample in the IHSES-III survey. As Iraq continues to move away from a humanitarian response, this data will support advocacy for inclusive development planning and implementation, as part of the Government of Iraq’s National Development Plan (2024-28) objectives, as well as supporting delivery of refugee inclusion commitments under the UNSDCF (2025-29), and 2023 Global Refugee Forum pledges. Alongside support to broader inclusive development programming, updated refugee data will allow the development of common targeting approaches across key social protection schemes, in particular the social safety nets and public distribution system, promoting equitable access to social protection across both refugee and host communities, supporting poverty mitigation and strengthening longer term inclusion strategies for refugees and promoting shock responsive social protection schemes.

By enhancing understanding of refugees’ socio-economic and labor market conditions, the findings will inform policies and programs implemented by government agencies, the World Bank, UNHCR, and other stakeholders to promote inclusive development and poverty reduction.

Activity description

The World Bank and UNHCR, in collaboration with the Federal and Kurdistan Statistics Offices, proposed to expand the IHSES-III survey to include two additional groups: Syrian refugees living in camps and those living outside camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I). Using EGRISS best practices, this approach will generate comparable data for both refugee populations and allow for analysis alongside data on nationals and other non-nationals across Iraq.

Key deliverables include:
– A report and data brief comparing socio-economic outcomes of refugees and host communities
– A dissemination workshop
– An anonymized microdataset published on the UNHCR Microdata Library

Engagement with partners

The activity will be a partnership between the Kurdistan Region Statistical Office, the World Bank, and UNHCR. 

Background and Context

Iraq has made steady progress toward stability and economic recovery following decades of conflict. Recent elections and a three-year national budget have strengthened governance and increased public spending, with economic growth expected to improve in 2025, supported by rising oil production.

Despite these advances, Iraq faces ongoing challenges, including limited private sector development, high unemployment, and a national poverty rate nearing 18%. The 2024 national census—the first in almost 40 years—recorded a population of 45 million, mostly urban. Refugees constitute less than 1% of the population, but data on their living conditions remains limited.

The 2023/24 IHSES included some refugee households; however, the sample size was insufficient for reliable analysis. As Iraq transitions from humanitarian aid to development-focused approaches, accurate data on refugees is essential to inform inclusive policies and programs.

This activity will focus on collecting detailed socio-economic data on refugees in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, home to most of the country’s refugees. It builds on strong collaboration between the Federal and Kurdistan Statistics Offices. The findings will support inclusive implementation of the National Development Plan (2024–2028), guide refugee inclusion efforts, and strengthen programs aimed at promoting refugee self-reliance and economic participation.