Instability in Iraq’s financial sector and has led to instability in supply chains and this combined with the efforts of the Iraqi government to control the distribution of staple foods. Since early 2022, the public distribution system (PDS) has been helping consumers to afford rice and wheat flour, among other essential foodstuffs.
Recent government intervention to ensure price stability and consistent and comprehensive distribution for essential foodstuffs has led to major changes in the market. On the one hand, the imposition of price controls has largely achieved its aim of making it easier for low-income consumers to afford essential staple foodstuffs.
The role of the Iraqi government in the country’s packaged food market continued to increase over the course of 2023 as some USD230 million dollars was invested in the development and implementation of a comprehensive price control regime and a state-controlled food distribution network. While this has been positive for consumers as it has ensured affordable prices wide range of essential foodstuffs, it has significantly increased pressure on private sector operators as food prices remain unstable at international level, not least due to the ongoing impact of the Ukraine conflict.
As Iraq’s society and economy continued to develop and recover from many years of armed conflict and disruption, various emerging socioeconomic factors are expanding the group of consumers who are interested in higher quality when it comes to products and services. Specifically, as levels increase and the group of affluent consumers who can afford to prioritise added value increases in size, demand for products that offer higher quality and added value continues to increase.
There remain major issues with the food manufacturing and distribution infrastructure in most parts of Iraq and this is largely due to underinvestment at a time when the country is still largely under reconstruction after many years of armed conflict. For this reason, the country depends heavily on imported products and ingredients for staple foods.
Positive sales growth is expected to be seen across all categories of staple foods over the forecast period, with more moderate increases expected to be seen in mature categories such as rice and bread. However, value sales are slated for very dynamic growth and this is mainly because of rising demand for higher-quality food and a wider variety of value-added products.
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Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Staple Foods industry in Iraq with research from Euromonitor International's team of in-country analysts – experts by industry and geographic specialisation.
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Staple Foods
NOTE: Couscous, polenta and quinoa are excluded from staple foods.
See All of Our DefinitionsThis report originates from Passport, our Staple Foods research and analysis database.
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