CBI foreign reserves drop below $81B

Shafaq News- Baghdad (Updated at 23:30)

Iraq’s foreign reserves fell by about 17.2% during the first seven months of 2026, reaching $80.633 billion at the end of July, according to data from the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI).

The reserves stood at $86.175 billion at the end of June, compared with $97.432 billion at the end of 2025.

Measured in Iraqi dinars, foreign reserves fell to 104.823 trillion dinars ($80.633 billion) at the end of July, from 112.027 trillion dinars ($86.175 billion) at the end of June and 126.661 trillion dinars ($97.432 billion) at the end of 2025.

Gold holdings moved in the opposite direction in July, rising slightly to 29.665 trillion dinars ($22.819 billion) from 29.415 trillion dinars ($22.627 billion) in June. They remained below the 31.488 trillion dinars ($24.222 billion) recorded at the end of 2025.

CBI investments declined to 75.034 trillion dinars ($57.718 billion) at the end of July, compared with 81.998 trillion dinars ($63.075 billion) at the end of June and 93.266 trillion dinars ($71.743 billion) at the end of 2025.

Cash held in the central bank’s vaults also fell sharply, reaching 124 billion dinars ($95.385 million) at the end of July, compared with 614 billion dinars ($472.308 million) a month earlier and 1.907 trillion dinars ($1.467 billion) at the end of 2025.