In April-May 2022, UNDP conducted a survey on public perceptions of safety and security in Iraq. The survey is intended to inform the Government of Iraq’s Security Sector Reform Programme and is a follow-up from surveys undertaken in 2016, 2018 and 2021 to allow for comparison and assessment of changes on the ground.

The 2022 survey was undertaken against a background of the COVID-19 health pandemic, continuing government deadlock and inability to form a new government, and ongoing security incidents, including attacks by the Islamic State in the Levant. Despite these challenges, the survey was administered to a random sample of 6,000 respondents that was representative of community members across six governorates (Anbar, Baghdad, Basra, Karbala, Ninewa and Salah al-Din). The survey was structured around nine key questions, which sought to ascertain public perceptions of safety and security in the six governorates and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on feelings of security.