Shafaq News– Baghdad
Currency in circulation in Iraq rose by1.604 trillion dinars in October 2025, pushing the total above 93 trilliondinars, according to figures released Monday by the Central Bank of Iraq.
The data showed that net currency incirculation climbed to 93.789 trillion dinars in October, up from 92.185trillion dinars in September. During the same period, total currency issuedreached 101.015 trillion dinars, while cash held inside commercial banks stoodat 7.226 trillion dinars.
The Central Bank explained that issuedcurrency includes all banknotes and coins printed and released into the market,encompassing both paper and metal denominations circulating outside its vaults. It noted that the continued expansion of cash held outside the banking system,alongside comparatively low bank reserves, indicates a preference amongcitizens to keep money in cash rather than deposit it in banks.
The bank warned that this pattern weakensfinancial intermediation and poses challenges to overall financial stability,as large volumes of liquidity remain outside formal channels.
The figures were released shortly afterthe Central Bank reported a widening fiscal gap in 2025. Public revenuesreached 104.434 trillion dinars ($72.0 billion) in the first ten months of theyear, while expenditures totaled 115.535 trillion dinars ($79.7 billion),meaning government spending exceeded income over the same period.