Small Industries and their Economic Importance in Iraq for the Period (2000-2020)

Small industries began to attract great attention from economists in various parts of the world after it became clear that the important role they have played in economic activity, whether in developed or developing countries. As for Iraq, interest has emerged in expanding investments in all sectors of the economy, including the industrial sector, especially small industries, as Many economists believe that developing these industries and encouraging their establishment are among the most important tributaries of the economic and social development process, as the number of their establishments represents a high percentage of the total industrial establishments in Iraq, and their importance is embodied in their ability to generate jobs at high rates and with a low capital cost, thus contributing to addressing the problem of unemployment, as the number The employment rate is high compared to other industries. The study was based on the descriptive approach based on the study and analysis of data. The concept of small industries in Iraq was studied, as well as the economic importance of small industries in Iraq. Small industries and their development in Iraq were clarified for the period (2000-2020), as it focused on studying the branches of the food and beverage industries, textiles, and ready-made clothing. Leather and its products, paper and its products, materials and chemical products, the electrical appliances industry, the furniture industry, and wood products not manufactured elsewhere. It also addressed the geographical distribution of small industries in Iraq for the year (2020) in terms of the distribution of small industries at the level of the Iraqi governorates. He also touched on the economic obstacles facing small industries in Iraq, which negatively affected their development path. The study reached several conclusions, including that the standard adopted in classifying small industries in Iraq is that the number of workers in them is (1-9) workers, and the food industries are the most important Iraqi industries in terms of the number of industrial establishments, as their number in 2020 reached about (8229) establishments and the number of workers in them. For the same year, it reached approximately (34,493) workers. Most of its small-sized facilities belong to the private sector. Baghdad Governorate ranked first for the year 2020 in terms of the number of small industrial establishments amounting to (6599) establishments, as well as the number of workers amounting to (14224) workers, with total wages also amounting to (85,454,096) dinars and a