Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) revealed on Wednesday that the country’s foreign currency reserves declined by the end of October 2025.
Official figures released by the CBI showed that the country’s foreign reserves reached $97.5 billion (approximately 126.8 trillion Iraqi dinars) by the end of October 2025, representing a decline compared to September, when reserves stood at $98.15 billion (around 127.6 trillion Iraqi dinars), Shafaq News reported.
The country’s foreign reserves also grew compared to August 2025, when they hit $94.64 billion (approximately 123.03 trillion Iraqi dinars), according to the CBI.
Iraq’s foreign reserves have declined compared to 2024, when they were $100.27 billion (about 130.34 trillion Iraqi dinars), and are lower than the country’s foreign reserves in 2023, when they reached $111.73 billion (around 145.25 trillion Iraqi dinars).
The CBI cautioned in mid-December that the country’s foreign currency reserves are under increasing strain due to low oil prices and a depleting monetary policy.
Iraq’s foreign reserves are still linked to oil income, making them sensitive to global crude price changes, according to the CBI.
A report released by the CBI indicated that the monetary policies used to withdraw liquidity from the market have also put a strain on reserves because they involve the use of foreign resources.
Oil prices dropped to approximately $69 per barrel in the second quarter of 2025, down from $81 during the same period in 2024, according to the study, leading to a drop in foreign reserves to 126.16 trillion Iraqi dinars ($96.3 billion) compared to 142.69 trillion Iraqi dinars ($108.9 billion) during the same time.
The CBI reported that efforts to stabilize the economy through cash pullout programs led to increased cash collections, as it exchanged more US dollars for Iraqi dinars.
