Iraq recorded 5,345 stalled public projects worth 33 trillion dinars between 2018 and 2023

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Anti-corruption data shows that 5,345 government projects in Iraq stalled between 2018 and 2023, with a combined estimated cost of about 33.27 trillion Iraqi dinars. Authorities said the figures do not mean each project involved corruption, but they point to weakened accountability in the use of public funds. Iraq scored 28 out of 100 on Transparency International's 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, ranking 136th out of 182 countries. The score rose by just two points compared with the previous year. The Iraqi Journalism Rights Defense Association documented 85 violations against journalists and media outlets in 2025, including threats and lawsuits linked to reporting on corruption allegations. A separate rights report recorded 182 press freedom violations over the same period. Separately, health data showed 11,125 viral hepatitis cases were detected across Iraq in 2024.