A high proportion (52%) of jobs in Dahuk is provided by the government or public sector. Few women (11%) are economically active, and of those 40% are unemployed. Two years of drought have caused severe problems for irrigation-fed agriculture over the past two years, but there have been reports of increased yields of rain-fed crops in 2009 compared to the previous year.

Dahuk performs poorly according to most humanitarian and development indicators. Education levels are below average in all districts. Over 90% of households in all districts apart from Al-Shikhan and Aqre have unreliable or no access to the electricity network. Poorly maintained water and sanitation systems mean that potable water risks being contaminated with human wastewater.

Over a quarter of the population aged 10 years and over is illiterate, with a large gap between men and women (over a third of women aged 10 and over is illiterate). Just 22% of the population aged 10 years and over has an intermediate education or above, compared to a 31% national average. The basic level of education may improve due to Dahuk’s relatively high primary enrolment ratio of 90% among children aged 6-11.

IDPs displaced during the wave of violence in 2006 and 2007 constitute 21% of Dahuk’s population, a higher proportion than in any other governorate. Almost all originate from Ninewa or Baghdad (in the north and centre of Iraq). Nearly all post-2006 IDP families (95%) cited access to employment opportunities as a priority need, while shelter was cited by over half (54%). A quarter (24%) of Dahuk’s IDP families lives in collective settlements and 64% has no waged income.