Iraq

Democracy profile

The score and regime label are assigned by Porto Voto using our in-house democracy index and classification framework, not ratings from governments or external agencies.

Democracy index

31/100

Regime type

Electoral Autocracy

Iraq maintains a parliamentary system with regular elections, yet the political landscape is heavily defined by entrenched sectarian power sharing and the influence of powerful political elites who often bypass institutional norms. While voting occurs, the process is frequently undermined by clientelism, vote buying, and the significant role of non state armed actors who exert pressure on both the electorate and political candidates. The judiciary retains only limited independence, often failing to hold high level officials accountable for systemic corruption or the suppression of protests. Freedom of expression and the media sector face recurring threats from both state authorities and militias, which leads to pervasive self censorship among journalists and civil society activists. The state struggles with maintaining a full monopoly on the legitimate use of force, and while it does not meet the criteria for a failed state, the centralization of power within factional networks significantly constrains the development of genuine democratic competition and effective public oversight.

Last evaluation: May 21, 2026

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Country background

A concise introduction to Iraq, together with notes on how power and law are organized, to put local ballots in context.

Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by the United Kingdom during World War I and was declared a League of Nations mandate under UK administration in 1920. Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. It was proclaimed a republic in 1958 after a coup overthrew the monarchy, but in actuality, a series of strongmen ruled the country until 2003.

The last was SADDAM Hussein, from 1979 to 2003. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and costly war from 1980 to 1988. In 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait but was expelled by US-led UN coalition forces during the two-month-long Gulf War of 1991.

After Iraq's expulsion, the UN Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions led to the Second Gulf War in 2003, when US-led forces ousted the SADDAM regime. In 2005, Iraqis approved a constitution in a national referendum and elected a 275-member Council of Representatives (COR).

The COR approved most of the cabinet ministers, marking the transition to Iraq's first constitutional government in nearly a half-century. Iraq's constitution also established the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), a semi-autonomous region that administers the governorates of Erbil, Dahuk, and As Sulaymaniyah. Iraq has held four national legislative elections since 2006, most recently in 2021.

The COR approved Mohammad Shia' al-SUDANI as prime minister in 2022. Iraq has repeatedly postponed elections for provincial councils -- last held in 2013 -- and since 2019, the prime minister has had the authority to appoint governors rather than provincial councils. Between 2014 and 2017, Iraq fought a military campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) to recapture territory the group seized in 2014.

In 2017, then-Prime Minister Haydar al-ABADI publicly declared victory against ISIS, although military operations against the group continue in rural areas. Also in 2017, Baghdad forcefully seized disputed territories across central and northern Iraq from the KRG, after a non-binding Kurdish independence referendum.

Ballots from Iraq

Democracy profile

Country background