Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iraq instead of Botswana, you would:
Health
be 99.4% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Botswana, 15.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 0.1% of people as of 2024.
live 3.1 years longer
In Botswana, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
have 2.7 times more doctors per person
Botswana has 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Iraq has 10.2 as of 2022.
be 64.4% less likely to die by suicide
Botswana has a suicide rate of 8.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.0 times more likely to be obese
In Botswana, 19.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 39.7% of people as of 2024.
see 35.6% less spent on your healthcare
Botswana spends $1,310 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iraq spends $843 as of 2023.
Economy
be 36.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Botswana, 24.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2025.
make 30.5% less money
Botswana has a GDP per capita of $7,778 as of 2025, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $5,410 as of 2025.
Life
be 57.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In Botswana, approximately 155.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iraq, 66.0 women do as of 2023.
be 37.4% less likely to die during infancy
In Botswana, approximately 32.1 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.
Basic Needs
be 31.6% more likely to have access to electricity
In Botswana, approximately 76% of people have electricity access (98% in urban areas, and 25% 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 41.8% more likely to have internet access
In Botswana, approximately 57.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Iraq, about 81.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 11.7% less on healthcare
Botswana spends 6.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iraq, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 30.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Botswana, road accidents kill 16.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iraq, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.4 times more home broadband
Botswana has 7.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Iraq has 17.6 as of 2024.
live with 26.7 times more strain on fresh water
Botswana withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iraq withdraws 60% as of 2022.
use 16.1% less electricity
Botswana uses 1,641 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iraq uses 1,377 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 58.2% more likely to die from air pollution
In Botswana, air pollution causes 55.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iraq, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 89.1% more CO2
Botswana emits 2.7 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: Botswana vs. Iraq
Iraq: At a glance
How big is Iraq compared to Botswana? See an in-depth size comparison.