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Iran Explained

Iran became an Islamic Republic in 1979, when the monarchy was overthrown and religious leaders assumed control under the supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeni (BBC News, 2016). Iran borders Iraq to the West, Turkmenistan to the north, and Afghanistan to the east. Iran is located in the Middle East, and also borders the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan. The capital of Iran is Tehran, and the main language spoken there is Persian (Ibid). The domestic security situation in Iran still remains rather volatile after many years of external influence, sanctions, as well as internal conflict and revolution, with internal terrorist groups such as Jaush as Adl boasting national influence (Indexmundi.com, 2016).

Following the Islamic Revolution of 1979, which gained large internal popularity in part because of the widespread view that Pahlavi monarchy was tremendously corrupt, the 1979 promises of corruption crackdown have not been fulfilled by its leaders. Despite how preeminent corruption is in Iran, there has been relatively little research, either in English or Farsi, on the specific forms through which corruption manifests itself in Iran, which institutions are dominated by corrupt practices and officials as well as how these practices continue hampering citizens ability to enjoy a peaceful daily life. Corruption can be traced back to the pre-revolutionary period, yet the modern forms of corruption, as in the case of Iraq, have evolved and adapted to the change of leadership. 

Basic Information (Indexmundi.com, 2016)

 

Population: 80,000,000

Land Area: 1.65 million km2

Capital City: Tehran 

Government Structure: Theocratic autocracy  

Population and Housing (Reports, 2019)

 

  • Iran has a population of 83 million.

  • The population has increased from 66 million in 2000 to 83 in 2019. 

  • The population is likely to grow to 90 million by 2025, but even more pressure on an already prepared housing system. 

  • More that 70% of Iran’s population live in Urban Areas. 

  • It is estimated that between 44% and 55% of the Iranian population live in poverty. 

Economics, Employment, and Poverty (Indexmundi.com, 2019)

 

  • Iran’s economy is defined by statistics policies, deep and entrenched inefficiencies and an over reliance on oil and gas exports. 

  • Iran holds around 22% of global oil reserves. 

  • The Iranina government directly owns and operates hundreds of state owned enterprises. 

  • The economy is heavily weighed down by corruption, price controls, inefficient subsidies,  and economic distortions. 

  • In 2018 the GDP of Iran was $1.64 trillion. This was an increase from $1.405 trillion in 2015. 

  • There are currently 30.5 million out of 83 million people in the labour force, with no shortage of skilled labour. 

  • The unemployment rate in 2018 stood at 11.8% nationally, 6% males and 4% of females compared to 12.4% in 2016. 

  • Oil exports account for around 58% of Iran's GDP, but employs very few people. 

  • 1.1 million people in 2018 did not have access to electricity or clean running water in Iran. 

Corruption (GAN Integrity, 2019)

 

  • Reported that in 2019 an estimated $350 million was paid in bribes to the police force. 

  • 43% of the population believe that corruption is a significant issue in Iran.

  • Due to entrenches levels of economic corruption it takes an average of 344 days to prepare, file, and pay taxes in Iran, which is considerably higher than any other country in the region. 

Iraq Explained 

Iraq is a country situated in Western Asia, a nation-state bordered by Jordan to its west, Syria to the northwest, Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, and Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to the south. Iraq is divided into 18 separate governorates, with Baghdad as its capital (Tax Summaries.pwc.com, 2019). The official languages of Iraq are Arabic and Kurdish, and the currency used is the Iraqi dinar (IQD). The domestic security situation in Iraq still remains volatile after years of war, sanctions, and internal conflict. Since the fall of former leader Saddam Hussein and the Ba’ath party in 2003, Iraq has slowly emerged as a democratic state. Nevertheless, the nation of Iraq is still suffering from the consequences of war, corruption, and reduced access to essential services. 

Starting during the reign of King Faisal up to the present day, governance in Iraq has always relied on patrimonial, and more recently neo-patrimonial, models of governance. Various subforms of this such as nepotism, clientelism and patronage have flourished in the post-2003 invasion period (Ghanim 2011 p.226). The level of corruption fuelling the growth of informal governance in Iraq is nothing new, yet it has expanded as a result of Iraq’s exploitation of mineral riches. The wealth derived from the nation’s mineral riches was at first used by the Ba’athism government both to improve living standards and placate public uproar as well as for politicians to enrich themselves. The tables turned after the invasion of Kuwait as well as the failure of the Food-for-Oil program in the 1990s, thereafter, the country spiralled into a vicious circle of officials pocketing funds at the expense of a growing impoverished population. The main subtle difference between corruption back then, and corruption now, is the way corruption was perceived and how corruption evolved in the post-2003 period.

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Basic Information (Uniraq.com, 2016)

 

Population: 32,000,000

Land Area: 438,000 km2

Capital City: Baghdad 

Government structure: Federal Parliamentary Republic 

Population and Housing (Ibid)

 

  • Iraq’s population has tripplied between the years 1970 and 2007, growing from 10 to 32 million. 

  • 71% of Iraq’s population live in Urban Areas. 

  • More than 50% of the Iraqi population lives in slums.

  • It is estimated that by 2030 the population of Iraq will grow to 50 million, putting further strain on the already pressured housing sector. 

Economics, Employment, and Poverty (Ibid)

 

  • Around 7 million Iraqis live in poverty, which is around 23% of the population. 

  • Of those living in poverty the average monthly expenditure is 77,000 Iraqi Dinars per month, or $2.2 per day. 

  • When surveyed 3 out of 4 Iraqis saw the reduction of national poverty as the most pressing need. 

  • Unemployment rate is 11% nationally, 7% males, and 13% of females. In total 653,000 people are without work. 

  • Public sector employment makes up  around 60% of total full time employment.

  • The government provides 40% of the work, with the rest being provided by the private sector. 

  • Oil exports account for 65% of Iraq's GDP, but only 1% of the employment. 

  • Since the fall of Saddam Hussien the use of technology has increased. 78% of Iraqis now use mobile telephones, and 12% own a personal computer. 

Corruption (UNDP, 2013)

 

  • 54% of the population believes that the corruption situation has deteriorated in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussien. 

  • 12% of Iraqis who have contacts with civil servants are giving a bribe.

  • 95% of bribery incidents go unreported. 

Bibliography

 

BBC News. (2016). Iran country profile. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14541327 [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

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GAN Integrity. (2019). Iran Corruption Report. Available at: https://www.ganintegrity.com/portal/country-profiles/iran/ [Accessed 4 Dec. 2019].

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Indexmundi.com. (2016). Iran Terrorist groups - home based - Terrorism.  Available at: https://www.indexmundi.com/iran/terrorist_groups_home_based.html [Accessed 6 Dec. 2019].

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Reports, S. (2019). Poverty in Iran on the Rise - BORGEN. BORGEN. Available at: https://www.borgenmagazine.com/poverty-iran-rise/ [Accessed 4 Dec. 2019].

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Tax Summaries.pwc.com. (2019). Iraq - Country overview. Available at: http://taxsummaries.pwc.com/ID/Iraq-Overview [Accessed 6 Dec. 2019].

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Uis.unesco.org. (2019). Iran (Islamic Republic of) | UNESCO UIS. Available at: http://uis.unesco.org/country/ir [Accessed 4 Dec. 2019].

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UNDP. (2013). MDGs in Iraq - 2013 Progress Report | UNDP in the Arab States. Available at: https://www.arabstates.undp.org/content/rbas/en/home/library/MDGs/Iraq_MDG_Report_2013.html [Accessed 4 Dec. 2019].

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UNICEF DATA. (2019). Iraq (IRQ) - Demographics, Health & Infant Mortality - UNICEF DATA. Available at: https://data.unicef.org/country/irq/ [Accessed 4 Dec. 2019].

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Uniraq.com. (2016). United Nations Iraq - Country Profile. Available at: http://www.uniraq.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&layout=item&id=941&lang=en [Accessed 4 Dec. 2019].

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World Bank. (2015). Overview. Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/iraq/overview#1 [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

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World Bank. (2019). Overview.  Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/iraq/overview#1 [Accessed 4 Dec. 2019]

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World Health Organization. (2019). Iran (Islamic Republic of). Available at: https://www.who.int/countries/irn/en/ [Accessed 4 Dec. 2019].

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