BAGHDAD — Four years ago, Iraqis united in a fight to free their country from what many viewed as an existential threat: the Islamic State, which held nearly one-third of Iraq in its grip.

This weekend, the nation held its first election since defeating the extremist group, a vote extraordinary for featuring ordinary bread-and-butter issues like corruption and unemployment — not security — as its major themes.

In many ways, the remarkably peaceful election on Saturday was both a vivid illustration of how far the nation of about 37 million people has come since 2014 — and of the depth of the problems that remain.

Unlike votes in previous years, this election was notable for a lack of sectarianism, especially among the leading Shiite-led coalitions. Political analysts attributed this to a changed public mood; sectarianism is now seen as the major cause of the bloodshed and devastation suffered since the American military invasion in 2003.