An Analysis of the Current State of Fiscal Policy and Its Role in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

Amna Shehab Ahmed Al-Hassan; Qahtan Lafta Attia  Al-Rubaie

doi:10.31149/ijefsd.v8i3.5801

Authors

Amna Shehab Ahmed Al-Hassan
amna.shehab@nahrainuniv.edu.iq
Al-Nahrain University, College of Business Economics, Baghdad, Iraq
Qahtan Lafta Attia Al-Rubaie Al-Nahrain University, College of Business Economics, Baghdad, Iraq

Vol. 8 No. 3 (2026): International Journal on Economics, Finance and Sustainable Development (IJEFSD)

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August 20, 2026

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Background: Fiscal policy directly affects the integrated economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development and is a central instrument for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Methods: This study employed a descriptive-analytical approach using secondary fiscal, macroeconomic, and sustainable-development data for Iraq, with emphasis on public expenditures, public revenues, public debt, GDP structure, and SDG performance over the available period from 2003/2004 to 2021. Results: The analysis identifies persistent structural challenges, including the rentier nature of the Iraqi economy, dependence on oil revenues, weak non-oil revenue mobilization, dominance of current over investment spending, political and security pressures, administrative and financial corruption, and environmental constraints. Conclusion: Strengthening the contribution of fiscal policy to sustainable development requires economic diversification, a more dynamic private sector, stronger small and medium-sized enterprises, better public-private partnerships, and an institutional mechanism for managing oil revenues across generations.

Al-Hassan, A. S. A., & Al-Rubaie, Q. L. A. (2026). An Analysis of the Current State of Fiscal Policy and Its Role in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. International Journal on Economics, Finance and Sustainable Development, 8(3), 108–119. https://doi.org/10.31149/ijefsd.v8i3.5801

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