Network Iraq
Qualitative market research agency in Iraq
MindMarket is a market research agency that runs qualitative studies in Iraq, from in-depth interviews and focus groups to phone-first online interviews and home visits, with moderators who live in the country and one project manager for your whole study. Iraq has 47.3 million people with a median age of 20.8, and 83.8 per cent of them use the internet (DataReportal, Digital 2026). It is one of the largest and youngest markets in the Middle East, with two official languages and cities that differ in language, retail and daily life. Research there is planned city by city, with people who live in each one.
AT A GLANCE
Iraq at a glance for researchers
- Population. 47.3 million people, median age 20.8, 72.2 per cent in urban areas (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Half the population is under 21. Baghdad is by far the largest city; Basra, Mosul and Erbil are the other main centres.
- Languages. Arabic in Baghdad, Basra and most of the country, in the Iraqi dialect; Kurdish in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah. Our moderators live in Iraq and work in the language of their city.
- Internet and mobile. 39.6 million internet users, 83.8 per cent of the population, and 50.8 million mobile connections (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Most people go online on a phone, and connections are checked before each session. The median mobile download speed is 56.34 Mbps, faster than the median fixed line at 41.52 Mbps (same source), so a phone on mobile data is often the better way into a video session.
- Where fieldwork happens. Baghdad, Erbil and Basra, each recruited and moderated locally, with Sulaymaniyah, Mosul or Najaf when the brief calls for them. Erbil and Sulaymaniyah are covered by Kurdish-speaking moderators and Basra by a team based in the south, and each city has its own fieldwork days.
- Data protection. We apply the same consent rules in Iraq as in every country where we work: participants are told what is collected and why before each session, and their consent is recorded.
- Timing. We do not schedule fieldwork during Ramadan or the two Eid holidays, and the weeks of Ashura and Arbaeen bring heavy travel in the centre and south. Summer heat from June to September moves sessions to the evening. The weekend is Friday and Saturday, and Nowruz in March is a holiday in the Kurdistan Region.
IN THE FIELD
How does an interview run in Iraq?
Iraq is three research settings in one brief: Baghdad, the Kurdistan Region and the south. Language, retail and what people will discuss change between them, and a study built for one does not travel to the next. A study in Iraq therefore names its cities in the brief, and the quote is built city by city.
- Planned city by city. Baghdad, Erbil and Basra differ in language, shops and daily life. Each is recruited and moderated by people who live there, and the cities are compared by one team. The same discussion guide runs in each city, so a difference in the answers comes from the people and the place.
- Arabic and Kurdish. A guide written in Arabic does not serve Erbil. Stimulus and discussion guides are prepared in both languages when the Kurdistan Region is in the study, each by a native speaker. Brand names, pack copy and app screens are shown in the language the participant uses in daily life.
- Phone first, line checked. Guides and tasks are made for a phone screen. Each participant's connection is tried before the session is confirmed, and a weak line moves the interview to the recruiter's office. Tasks are kept short, with photos and voice notes in place of long typing.
- Trust is built through an introduction. People speak more openly to a researcher who has been introduced by someone they know. Recruiters work through personal networks, and home visits are arranged with the family in advance. The introduction comes with a plain explanation of who is asking, what will be recorded and how the answers will be used.
RECRUITMENT
How do you recruit participants in Iraq?
- We recruit through local partners in Baghdad, Erbil and Basra, who find the people your brief describes in each city. Every profile is checked by the recruiter in person or by video before the session, and people who take part in studies often are screened out.
- Recruitment runs through personal introductions, and each participant's connection is tried before an online session is confirmed. Allow more time for recruitment than in a market with ready lists; the number of days is stated in your quote.
- MindMarket pays every participant's incentive itself. You never handle it.
METHODS
Which methods work in Iraq?
Most studies in Iraq run as in-depth interviews and focus groups, with ethnographic home visits, shop-alongs or UX research when the question needs them.
| Method | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| In-depth interviews | Telecoms, finance, consumer goods and family decisions, online or in person | One language for the whole country |
| Focus groups | Concepts and brands, women and men in separate groups | A group in one city read as national |
| Home visits | Household routines, cooking and shared purchases | A visit arranged through someone the family trusts |
| Shop-alongs | Markets, neighbourhood shops and new malls | Traditional and modern retail give different answers |
| UX research | Wallets, delivery and telecom apps on a phone | Screens tested on office wifi only |
QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask about research in Iraq
How much does market research cost in Iraq?
A full-service qualitative study with MindMarket starts at $40,000 for the first market, and Iraq added to a multi-country study starts from $8,000. Each additional city, and a second language for the Kurdistan Region, moves the price more than the number of sessions. Every quote is itemised and follows within 48 hours of a first call. Estimate your study.
How do I choose a market research agency in Iraq?
Choose by what the study has to decide. A local fieldwork team fits a single-city survey. A qualitative specialist such as MindMarket fits a brand from outside Iraq that needs local people heard in their own language, by moderators who live there, with one team across every country. Read how to choose a global qualitative research agency.
Which cities should a study in Iraq cover?
Baghdad for the centre, Erbil for the Kurdistan Region and Basra for the south, when the decision is national. Each is recruited and moderated locally. For a first read, start with the city where your product will be sold first. Najaf, Karbala or Mosul are added when the product or the audience is specific to them.
Which language should sessions run in Iraq?
Arabic, in the Iraqi dialect, in Baghdad, Basra and most of the country; Kurdish in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah. Guides are prepared in each language by a native speaker, and your team follows through translation. Arabic and Kurdish sessions are analysed by people who speak each language, and the findings are brought together in English.
Can you run online interviews in Iraq?
Yes: 83.8 per cent of the population uses the internet (DataReportal, Digital 2026), mostly on a phone. Each connection is tried before the session is confirmed, and the interview moves to the recruiter's office when a home line is weak. Mobile data is often the faster connection in Iraq: the median mobile download speed is 56.34 Mbps, against 41.52 Mbps on fixed lines (same source).
Can you help us decide, not only run the interviews?
Yes. Beyond the fieldwork, our Customer-Led Strategy work turns what people in Iraq told us into a recommendation: what to do, what not to do, and why. We form the hypotheses, test them with your customers and recommend from their words. If you already work with strategy consultants, we work alongside them.
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