Iraqi State Capabilities

Abstract

A central indicator of governance and state capacity is the ability of the government to ensure access to basic services. This review looks at the current capability of the state of Iraq to deliver public services. The review draws heavily on a number of recent World Bank Group reports, in particular the recent Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD) of Iraq carried out in 2017 (see World Bank, 2017; World Bank Group 2018a, 2018b). Iraqis have witnessed a dramatic deterioration in most basic services: electricity, water and sanitation, health, education, transportation, and especially security. Iraq is ethnically, religiously, and regionally diverse, and conflict has led to more pronounced spatial differences not only in poverty rates but also in the delivery of services. Access to and the quality of services also vary widely across the country. Due to the information/literature available and the short timeframe, this review touches briefly on the national provision of social protection services, electricity supply, transport, water supply and sanitation, health, education and security in Iraq. It then talks in more detail on the regional variations in service delivery for the areas of Iraq where recent information was available.