UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- A U.N.-backed study found that one-third of Iraq's population lives in poverty with more than 5 percent living in extreme poverty.
Prepared by the Iraqi Central Organization for Statistics and Information Technology with support from the U.N. Development Program, the statistics show a high percentage of Iraqis live under various levels of poverty despite the country's vast economic and natural resources.
"This study will be an important addition to the toolkit of policy makers, development planners and practitioners," said UNDP Iraq Director Paolo Lembo. He pointed out the last few years have been marked by unreliable and out-of-date information.
"We will use the study's findings to better target projects such as those for rapid job creation focusing on areas of greatest need and where infrastructure, especially water and sanitation is lacking," said Mehdi Al-Alak, chairman of the statistics organization.
The study also highlighted significant variations in living standards across the country, with the southern region in Iraq showing the highest level of deprivation, followed by the center and then the north. Rural areas show three times higher levels of deprivation than urban areas, with the Baghdad area being the best off in the country.
