Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iraq instead of Afghanistan, you would:
Health
live 6.1 years longer
In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
see 2.6 times more spent on your healthcare
Afghanistan spends $330 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iraq spends $843 as of 2023.
have 3.2 times more doctors per person
Afghanistan has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Iraq has 10.2 as of 2022.
have 43.9% more access to essential health services
Afghanistan scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iraq scores 59 as of 2021.
be 17.5% less likely to die by suicide
Afghanistan has a suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 93.0% more likely to be obese
In Afghanistan, 20.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 39.7% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 13.0 times more money
Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $417 as of 2024, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $5,410 as of 2025.
be 16.0% more likely to be unemployed
In Afghanistan, 13.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 87.3% less likely to die during childbirth
In Afghanistan, approximately 521.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iraq, 66.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.3 times more likely to be literate
In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 84.1% as of 2021.
be 58.4% less likely to die during infancy
In Afghanistan, approximately 48.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Iraq, on the other hand, 20.1 children do as of 2024.
have 26.9% fewer children
In Afghanistan, there are approximately 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iraq, there are 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 17.2% more likely to have access to electricity
In Afghanistan, approximately 85% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Iraq, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 5.1 times more likely to have internet access
In Afghanistan, approximately 16.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Iraq, about 81.5% do as of 2024.
be 21.7% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Afghanistan, approximately 81% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 98% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 63.1% less on healthcare
Afghanistan spends 15.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iraq, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 10.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Afghanistan, road accidents kill 24.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iraq, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 220.4 times more home broadband
Afghanistan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Iraq has 17.6 as of 2024.
Environment
be 39.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Afghanistan, air pollution causes 143.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iraq, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 18.5 times more CO2
Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iraq emits 5.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Afghanistan vs. Iraq
Iraq: At a glance
How big is Iraq compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.