Iraq Salaries Under Scrutiny After Finance Ministry Figures Challenged
The debate over Iraq salaries has returned to the spotlight after economist and University of Basra professor Nabil Al-Marsoumi challenged figures released by the Ministry of Finance, highlighting discrepancies between official statements and published financial data.
Based on financial tables published up to September 2025, Al-Marsoumi explained that employee compensation amounted to 45.563 trillion dinars, while grants, wages, and salaries reached 3.604 trillion dinars.
Pension payments stood at 14.175 trillion dinars, alongside 550 billion dinars for full-time caregivers and 4.263 trillion dinars for social protection programs.
According to these calculations, total spending during the first nine months of the year reached 68.155 trillion dinars, translating into an average monthly expenditure of about 7.572 trillion dinars on Iraq salaries.
This figure exceeds the Finance Ministry’s claim that monthly salary spending is limited to 6 trillion dinars.
Former Member of Parliament Mustafa Sanad also weighed in, disputing the ministry’s response to his earlier remarks comparing salary expenditures with actual revenues.
He stated that he would submit an official response supported by documents, insisting that his estimates covering public employees, retirees, and social welfare beneficiaries were higher than those acknowledged by the government.
The ongoing dispute underscores the critical role of Iraq salaries in public finances, as they represent one of the largest components of government spending and have a direct impact on fiscal balance and economic sustainability.
