If you lived in Iraq instead of Albania, you would:

Health

live 7.4 years less

In Albania, the average life expectancy is 80 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 64.5% more likely to be obese

In Albania, 24.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 39.7% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

see 42.5% less spent on your healthcare

Albania spends $1,465 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iraq spends $843 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 45.6% fewer doctors per person

Albania has 18.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Iraq has 10.2 as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 11.2% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Albania, 19.7% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Iraq, however, that number is 17.5% as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 41.6% more likely to be unemployed

In Albania, 10.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

make 58.4% less money

Albania has a GDP per capita of $12,998 as of 2025, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $5,410 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

have 2.5 times more children

In Albania, there are approximately 10.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iraq, there are 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 9.4 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Albania, approximately 7.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iraq, 66.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 13.9% less likely to be literate

In Albania, the literacy rate is 97.7% as of 2023. In Iraq, it is 84.1% as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 2.4 times more likely to die during infancy

In Albania, approximately 8.3 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.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 21.6% less on healthcare

Albania spends 7.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iraq, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 84.0% less coastline

Albania has a total of 362 km of coastline. In Iraq, that number is 58 km.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 99.1% more likely to die in a road accident

In Albania, road accidents kill 10.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iraq, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 29.1% less home broadband

Albania has 24.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Iraq has 17.6 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live with 12.4 times more strain on fresh water

Albania withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iraq withdraws 60% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

use 52.4% less electricity

Albania uses 2,892 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iraq uses 1,377 kWh as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Environment

be 47.5% more likely to die from air pollution

In Albania, air pollution causes 59.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iraq, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.

View global rankings →

emit 2.9 times more CO2

Albania emits 1.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iraq emits 5.2 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →


Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Iraq: At a glance

Iraq is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 437,367 sq km. Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by Britain during the course of World War I; in 1920, it was declared a League of Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over the next dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. A "republic" was proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series of strongmen ruled the country until 2003. The last was SADDAM Husayn. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and costly eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait but was expelled by US-led, UN coalition forces during the Gulf War of January-February 1991. Following Kuwait's liberation, the UN Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions over a period of 12 years led to the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. US forces remained in Iraq under a UNSC mandate through 2009 and under a bilateral security agreement thereafter, helping to provide security and to train and mentor Iraqi security forces. In October 2005, Iraqis approved a constitution in a national referendum and, pursuant to this document, elected a 275-member Council of Representatives (COR) in December 2005. The COR approved most cabinet ministers in May 2006, marking the transition to Iraq's first constitutional government in nearly a half century. In January 2009 and April 2013, Iraq held elections for provincial councils in all governorates except for the three governorates comprising the Kurdistan Regional Government and Kirkuk Governorate. Iraq held a national legislative election in March 2010 - choosing 325 legislators in an expanded COR - and, after nine months of deadlock the COR approved the new government in December 2010. Nearly nine years after the start of the Second Gulf War in Iraq, US military operations there ended in mid-December 2011.
Read more

How big is Iraq compared to Albania? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Iraq or Albania. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.