Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iraq instead of Burma, you would:
Health
live 5.3 years longer
In Burma, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 70 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 3.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Burma spends $283 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iraq spends $843 as of 2023.
have 35.0% more doctors per person
Burma has 7.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. Iraq has 10.2 as of 2022.
have 13.5% more access to essential health services
Burma scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iraq scores 59 as of 2021.
be 4.9 times more likely to be obese
In Burma, 8.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 39.7% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 3.6 times more money
Burma has a GDP per capita of $1,489 as of 2025, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $5,410 as of 2025.
be 5.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Burma, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 64.3% less likely to die during childbirth
In Burma, approximately 185.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iraq, 66.0 women do as of 2023.
be 38.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Burma, approximately 32.8 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 55.4% more children
In Burma, there are approximately 16.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iraq, there are 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 10.1% less likely to be literate
In Burma, the literacy rate is 93.5% as of 2020. In Iraq, it is 84.1% as of 2021.
Basic Needs
be 30.2% more likely to have access to electricity
In Burma, approximately 77% of people have electricity access (95% in urban areas, and 69% 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 85.2% more likely to have internet access
In Burma, approximately 44.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Iraq, about 81.5% do as of 2024.
be 14.8% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Burma, approximately 86% of people have access to drinking water (96% in urban areas, and 81% 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 2.4 times more on education
Burma spends 2.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Iraq spends 4.7% of total GDP on education as of 2016.
spend 24.0% more on healthcare
Burma spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iraq, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 97.0% less coastline
Burma has a total of 1,930 km of coastline. In Iraq, that number is 58 km.
Safety
be 11.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In Burma, road accidents kill 19.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iraq, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 6.1 times more home broadband
Burma has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Iraq has 17.6 as of 2024.
use 3.7 times more electricity
Burma uses 368 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iraq uses 1,377 kWh as of 2023.
live with 10.3 times more strain on fresh water
Burma withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iraq withdraws 60% as of 2022.
Environment
be 22.5% more likely to die from air pollution
In Burma, air pollution causes 71.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iraq, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 8.9 times more CO2
Burma emits 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iraq emits 5.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2016–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Burma vs. Iraq
Iraq: At a glance
How big is Iraq compared to Burma? See an in-depth size comparison.