Iraq: Latest Quality of Life Indicators

The Brookings Institute is an independent think-tank based in Washington. It is associated with the liberal wing of US Politics. Every Monday and Thursday it updates a comprehensive Iraq Index, a catalogue of statistics relating to Iraq reconstruction and opinion. The latest quality of life indicators show progress but the pace of improvement remains frustratingly slow. Countries that have pledged donations need to deliver. Reconstruction funds needs to be dispersed. Unemployment remains the number one priority for the new Iraqi government and the coalition. Here are some of the key indicators (AJ):


Iraq: Latest Quality of Life Indicators
Fuel Supply available
May 2003: 10% of target
April 2005 90% of target (down 3% on last month)
Oil Revenue
June 2003: $0.2 billion
March 2005: $1.55 billion
Electricity: Daily Mega Watt Hours (MWH) available
Pre-war: 95,000
August 2003: 72,435
April 2005:84,400 (still below pre-war levels)
Nationwide Unemployment Rate
June 2003: 50-60%
March 2005: 28-40%
Inflation
July 2004: 0.6%
February 2005:11.4%
Telephone Subscribers
Pre-War: 833,000
April 2005: 3, 040, 609
Internet Subscribers
Pre-War: 11,000
March 2005: 147,076
Primary School Enrolment
2000: 3.6 million
2003/4: 4.3 million
Commercial Airport Departures per day
Pre-war: 2-3
October 2004: 45
Hospitals restored to pre-war levels
March 2004: 90%
Relative Amount of Car Traffic
July 2003: 1.0
January 2005: 5.0
Relative length of gasoline lines (miles)
July 2003: 0.1
January 2005: 1.0