Iraq: the facts

As the illegal occupation of Iraq enters its fifth year, following an invasion based on lies, here are some facts and figures. They cover the non-stop destruction of Iraq, the uprooting of about 16% of the population and the horrors of the civil war that has engulfed the country.

• 2 million Iraqis – almost 10% of the population - have fled their country, scattered in Jordan, Syria, Turkey and Iran
• Another 1.9 million Iraqis are estimated to be internally displaced persons
• The British medical journal The Lancet's study found that about 655,000 Iraqis had died in war, occupation, and civil strife between March 2003 and June 2006
• Unemployment is estimated as high as 60%, and inflation last year was 50%
• Fuel and electricity prices are up more than 270% from 2005 levels
• Acute malnutrition among young children in Iraq has nearly doubled since the 2003 invasion, according to the UN
• Tea in some markets has quadrupled, egg prices have doubled
• Sectarian murders rose to 1,200 in December 2006 from 200 in January
• More than 140,000 American troops are in Iraq
• Over 3,200 have died and another 24,000 have been wounded
• There are 7,100 British troops in Iraq; 134 have died
• 60% of the British public now believe the invasion was a mistake
• 75% of Americans approved of the war when it began in 2003. Last month, pollsters found that 60% now oppose it
• Iraqi oil production has sunk from pre-invasion level of 2.4 million barrels a day to 1.9 million barrels a day
• The $630 billion provided for the US military this year exceeds in real terms the highest annual amounts during the Reagan-era defence build-up, the Vietnam War and the Korean War
• When Congress approves a $100 billion emergency spending bill in the next few weeks, it will have appropriated $607 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
• A gallon of petrol cost as little as US4 cents in 2005. The official price is now about 67 cents after the International Monetary Fund demanded a cut in oil subsidies
• the number of Iraqis who approve of attacks on foreign troops has risen from 17% in a similar survey three years ago to 51% now
• 60% of Iraqis questioned in a BBC poll believe that things are going badly in their lives; only a third expect things to improve
• On 24 September 2002 Tony Blair told the House of Commons: "The intelligence picture… is extensive, detailed and authoritative. It concludes that Iraq has chemical, biological weapons and continues to produce them."
• March 21, 2007: Still no sign of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq

Paul Feldman, communications editor