Editing Economy of Iraq (section)

=== Iran-Iraq War ===
Before the outbreak of the war with Iran in September 1980, the economic outlook was positive. In 1979, oil production  reached a level of 560,000 m³ (3.5 million barrels) per day, and oil revenues were 21 billion dollars in 1979 and $27 billion in 1980 due to record oil prices. Iraq had amassed an estimated $35 billion in [[foreign exchange reserves]]. It was believed to have one of the best [[Education in Iraq|education]] and [[Healthcare in Iraq|health care systems]] in the [[Middle East]], and thousands of [[Migrant workers in the Gulf Cooperation Council region|migrant workers]] from [[Egypt]], [[Somali Democratic Republic|Somalia]], and the [[Indian subcontinent]] were employed in construction projects.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Chandrasekaran|first=Rajiv|url=http://archive.org/details/imperiallifeinem00chan|title=Imperial life in the emerald city : inside Iraq's green zone|date=2007|publisher=Vintage Books|others=Internet Archive|isbn=978-0-307-27883-8|location=New York}}</ref> The [[Iran–Iraq War]] and the [[1980s oil glut]] depleted Iraq's foreign exchange reserves, devastated its economy and left the country with a foreign debt of more than $40 billion. Oil exports gradually increased as new pipelines were constructed and damaged facilities were restored.