Iraq's issued currency hits $86.3B in May

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq's issued currency rose to 113.560 trillion dinars ($86.3B) at the end of May 2026, up from 112.896 trillion dinars ($85.8B) a month earlier, as cash circulating outside the banking system continued to increase, according to official data released by the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI).

Compared with the end of 2025, issued currency increased from 99.799 trillion dinars ($75.8B). Net currency circulating outside banks climbed to 106.812 trillion dinars ($81.2B) at the end of May, up from 104.542 trillion dinars ($79.5B) a month earlier and 92.560 trillion dinars ($70.3B) at the close of last year.

Meanwhile, cash held by banks fell to 6.748 trillion dinars ($5.1B) from 8.354 trillion dinars ($6.3B) at the end of April and 7.239 trillion dinars ($5.5B) at the close of 2025.

Economic expert Mohammed Al-Hassani told Shafaq News that the increase in issued currency indicates the CBI injected additional liquidity into the economy. The continued concentration of cash outside banks, coupled with declining bank holdings, reflects the persistent preference of individuals and businesses to hold money outside the banking system, limiting banks' capacity to expand lending and support broader economic activity, he added.