Country profile

Iraq

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & PakistanUpper middle income46.04M inhabitants

Last updated April 1, 2026

Fragile/Conflict-Affected Country: This country is classified as experiencing conflict. Data may not reflect the current situation due to instability.

Composite GEFRI Score

Severely underprepared

Iraq is severely underprepared (28th percentile worldwide). Key structural conditions limit capacity to plan, implement, and sustain forward-looking reforms. Higher scores indicate a system that is better prepared to anticipate and shape the future of learning.

34.68Composite score

Global percentile: 28th
Global rank: #128
Regional rank: #18
Viewing data for

Infrastructure

67.82

47th percentileGlobal avg. 59.93

Human Capital

49.29

46th percentileGlobal avg. 47.03

Innovation

34.05

36th percentileGlobal avg. 42.53

Governance

22.26

12th percentileGlobal avg. 47.71

Access & Parity

0.00

14th percentileGlobal avg. 43.89

Country profile

Iraq trails global peers in Governance (22, 12th percentile) and School Access and Gender Parity (0, 14th percentile). A coordinated reform effort is needed to strengthen education futures readiness.

Wide gaps between dimensions reveal structural weaknesses that slow coordinated progress. Adult literacy gaps reduce the diffusion of knowledge needed for future-ready skills.

Sparse R&D investment and a small research workforce slow experimentation and delay new ideas from reaching learners. Policy execution and regulatory capacity remain weak, leaving reforms fragmented and hard to sustain. Gender parity across secondary pathways reflects sustained commitment to equitable participation.

Note: Because many indicators are imputed, these findings should be treated as provisional until more reported data arrives.

Key insights

Falls below many peers at the 28th percentile.
Places 128th worldwide.
Holds a regional position of 18th within Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan.
Scores range from Infrastructure (67.8) to Access & Parity (0.0), reflecting variation across dimensions.
Trails regional peers most clearly in Access & Parity.

Regional peers: Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

Composite GEFRI score

Global rank	Regional rank	Country	Score
13	1	Israel	73.92
26	2	United Arab Emirates	70.36
39	3	Saudi Arabia	65.52
40	4	Malta	64.28
57	5	Kuwait	59.77
59	6	Qatar	58.36
60	7	Jordan	58.06
64	8	Bahrain	57.37
76	9	Oman	54.61
78	10	Morocco	53.83
92	11	Iran, Islamic Rep.	50.45
95	12	Egypt, Arab Rep.	49.67
97	13	Tunisia	49.07
99	14	West Bank and GazaFCS	47.12
114	15	Algeria	38.86
122	16	Djibouti	36.23
124	17	LebanonFCS	35.78
128	18	IraqFCS	34.68
129	19	LibyaFCS	34.45
141	20	Pakistan	29.51
149	21	Syrian Arab RepublicFCS	27.28
158	22	Yemen, Rep.FCS	23.14
170	23	AfghanistanFCS	18.18