CBI reserves slide $7B+ in H1 2026

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s foreign reserves fell by $7.4 billion during the first five months of 2026, while the country’s gold holdings increased by 5.7% from their level at the end of last year, according to data from the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI).

Foreign reserves stood at $93.673 billion at the end of May 2026, down from $101.082 billion in January, marking a decline of $7.409 billion, or 7.3%, over the five-month period.

In Iraqi dinar terms, foreign reserves totaled 121.775 trillion dinars ($93.673B) at the end of May, compared with 131.407 trillion dinars ($101.082B) in January. The difference amounted to 9.632 trillion dinars ($7.409B).

Meanwhile, Iraq’s gold holdings increased in value compared with the end of 2025, reaching 33.295 trillion dinars ($25.612B) at the end of May, up from 31.488 trillion dinars ($24.221B) at the close of last year.

The rise amounted to 1.807 trillion dinars ($1.391B), or 5.7%, although the value of Iraq’s gold reserves remained below the record level reached in March 2026, when they climbed to 38.386 trillion dinars ($29.532B).

The CBI’s total assets also declined to 88.114 trillion dinars ($67.780B) at the end of May, compared with 94.380 trillion dinars ($72.600B) in January. The decrease totaled 6.266 trillion dinars ($4.820B), or 6.6%.