Iraq vs Kuwait: Oil rents as a share of GDP
Iraq
42.8%
in 2021
Kuwait
27.6%
in 2020
Iraq rank
2nd
Kuwait rank
5th
Oil rents as a share of GDP over time
- Iraq
- Kuwait
How they compare
Iraq currently reports 42.8% against 27.6% in Kuwait, a difference of 15.2%.
That makes Iraq's figure about 1.6 times Kuwait's.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 47 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Kuwait ahead.
Iraq ranks 2nd and Kuwait ranks 5th of 199 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Iraq averaged higher in 1 and Kuwait in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iraq | Kuwait | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 39.6% | 52.9% | 13.3% | Kuwait |
| 1980s | 24.9% | 37.6% | 12.7% | Kuwait |
| 1990s | 33.9% | 36.0% | 2.1% | Kuwait |
| 2000s | 53.8% | 46.0% | 7.8% | Iraq |
| 2010s | 43.1% | 46.0% | 2.9% | Kuwait |
| 2020s | 27.0% | 27.6% | 0.5% | Kuwait |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher oil rents as a share of gdp, Iraq or Kuwait?
- Iraq, at 42.8% against 27.6% in Kuwait as of 2021.
- What is the difference in oil rents as a share of gdp between Iraq and Kuwait?
- 15.2%, with Iraq ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iraq and Kuwait?
- 47 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2020.
- How do Iraq and Kuwait rank globally for oil rents as a share of gdp?
- Iraq ranks 2nd and Kuwait ranks 5th of 199 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Oil rents as a share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Economic profits generated from oil extraction, measured as the difference between production value and costs, expressed as a percentage of gross domestic product.