In 2023, Iraq’s electricity consumption depended overwhelmingly on fossil fuels, which supplied about 97% of the total. Gas alone accounted for roughly 57%, or more than half of all electricity consumed. Low-carbon sources supplied only about 1%, while net imports accounted for around 2%; the data do not specify the electricity sources behind those imports. This leaves Iraq with substantial scope to expand clean electricity and reduce the climate impacts and air pollution associated with fossil fuels.

Is Electricity Growing in Iraq?

Electricity consumption per person is growing: it reached 3,404 kWh in 2023, exceeding the previous record of 3,118 kWh in 2022 by 286 kWh, or about 9%. That is encouraging progress toward meeting rising electricity needs. However, low-carbon electricity generation has not kept pace. It stood at just 39 kWh per person, compared with its historical record of 213 kWh in 2006—a disappointing decline of 174 kWh, or roughly 82%. Iraq therefore needs both continued electricity growth and a much stronger contribution from clean generation.

Suggestions

Iraq could accelerate low-carbon electricity generation by expanding solar power and developing a nuclear electricity programme, alongside grid investment and suitable wind projects. Nearby Lebanon generates about 31% of its electricity from solar, while Jordan achieves 15%, offering useful regional examples. The sunny US states of Nevada and Arizona also demonstrate solar’s potential, with shares of 35% and 19%, respectively. For nuclear, the United Arab Emirates is a particularly relevant regional example, generating 20% of its electricity from this clean source; France demonstrates the potential for a much larger contribution, at about two-thirds. Iraq could also learn from Morocco, where wind supplies 20% of electricity, while assessing its own best wind locations. Together, these sources could support growing demand from electrification and emerging industries.

History

Iraq’s reported low-carbon electricity history is dominated by uneven hydroelectric output. A gain of 2 TWh in 1990 was largely reversed by a 1.7 TWh decline in 1991. A substantial 5.5 TWh increase in 2005 was followed by reductions in 2007 and 2008. During the 2010s, gains in 2010, 2012–2013 and 2016 were interspersed with declines, before a strong 3.1 TWh rebound in 2019. That recovery did not last: hydroelectric generation fell every year from 2020 through 2023, with those annual declines totalling 3.6 TWh. Solar added 0.3 TWh in 2020, an encouraging step, but the overall pattern underscores the need for sustained expansion of Iraq’s clean electricity supply.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade