25%+ of Iraq's state factories out of service
Shafaq News – Baghdad
More than 25% of the factories operated by Iraq’s Ministry of Industry and Minerals are currently out of service, the Central Statistical Organization (CSO) affiliated with the Ministry of Planning said on Thursday.
According to the CSO, the Ministry of Industry oversees 42 companies across the public and mixed sectors, with a total of 225 factories.
Water for the factories is sourced primarily from piped networks, which supply 74 factories (49%). The Tigris River provides water to 46 factories (30.5%), while the Euphrates River supplies 17 factories (11.3%). The rest draw water from groundwater, the Shatt Al-Arab, and other sources. Additionally, 74 factories—32.9% of the total—do not use water in their industrial operations.
The CSO also reported that solid waste generated by these factories amounts to 2,224.2 tons per month, with the construction and industrial services sector producing the highest share at 2,149.1 tons per month (96.62%).
Earlier this year, Industry Minister Khaled Battal al-Najm warned that worsening water shortages in Iraq were disrupting key manufacturing sectors and called for stronger protections at border crossings to ensure fair competition.
Thousands of state and private factories remain idle, with many facilities abandoned since the 1980s. Government plans to revive production—including loans, energy support, and industrial city initiatives—have advanced slowly, leaving most public factories dependent on intermittent funding and the private sector operating with minimal state backing.
Read more: Iraq’s factories await revival after years of decay
