Baghdad vs Mosul

Baghdad leads Mosul by 15 points on the CIRA Index, 40 to 25. Baghdad grades better on 4 measures, Mosul on 4; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Baghdad 40, Mosul 25
• OECD: Baghdad 40, Mosul 28
• UN Tourism: Baghdad 51, Mosul 36
• UNDRR: Baghdad 23, Mosul 23

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Baghdad 100, Mosul 100
• Economy and jobs: Baghdad 56, Mosul 25
• Climate and hazards: Baghdad 15, Mosul 20
• Water and environment: Baghdad 31, Mosul 44
• Community and housing: Baghdad 75, Mosul –
• Access and continuity: Baghdad 21, Mosul 8

Where Baghdad is stronger

• Unemployment rate: 9.3 % of the labour force (region figure) (Ministry of Planning, National Committee for Sustainable Development / EUAA, 2021). Between 8 and 12: grade 2/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 52.4 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (country figure) (UN-Water / WHO / UN-Habitat SDG 6 Country Profiles, 2024). Between 50 and 70: grade 1/4.
• Access redundancy: 3 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (World Bank, Iraq Railways Extension and Modernization Project / Iraq Ministry of Transport, 2025). Between 3 and 4: grade 3/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A promotion budget that depends each year on the general budget (Ministry of Finance of Iraq, Federal Budget Law, 2023–2025). Grade 1/4.

Where Mosul is stronger

• Flood hazard: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 358.4 kg per resident per year (World Bulletin of Social Sciences (WBSS), Environmental Assessment of Solid Waste in the Left Side of Mosul City, 2021). Between 350 and 450: grade 3/4.
• Green space: 21.7 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (Iraqi Journal of Science (University of Baghdad), 'Evaluation of the Land Cover Changes in Mosul City, Iraq, Using Remote Sensing and GIS', April 2023). Between 20 and 30: grade 2/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: A city emergency plan exists, not updated in the last 3 years (UNDP Iraq, 'Mosul Dam Emergency Preparedness Plan', 2019–2021). Grade 2/4.

Baghdad in full · Mosul in full

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