Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iraq instead of Colombia, you would:
Health
be 40.1% less likely to die by suicide
Colombia has a suicide rate of 5.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 5.5 years less
In Colombia, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
be 59.4% more likely to be obese
In Colombia, 24.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 39.7% of people as of 2024.
see 52.1% less spent on your healthcare
Colombia spends $1,758 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iraq spends $843 as of 2023.
have 59.7% fewer doctors per person
Colombia has 25.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Iraq has 10.2 as of 2022.
have 26.2% less access to essential health services
Colombia scores 80 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iraq scores 59 as of 2021.
Economy
be 45.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Colombia, 31.8% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Iraq, however, that number is 17.5% as of 2023.
be 86.7% more likely to be unemployed
In Colombia, 8.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2025.
make 36.8% less money
Colombia has a GDP per capita of $8,562 as of 2025, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $5,410 as of 2025.
Life
have 93.1% more children
In Colombia, there are approximately 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iraq, there are 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 11.8% less likely to be literate
In Colombia, the literacy rate is 95.3% as of 2024. In Iraq, it is 84.1% as of 2021.
be 91.4% more likely to die during infancy
In Colombia, approximately 10.5 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.
Expenditures
spend 32.1% less on healthcare
Colombia spends 8.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 98.2% less coastline
Colombia has a total of 3,208 km of coastline. In Iraq, that number is 58 km.
Safety
be 32.7% more likely to die in a road accident
In Colombia, road accidents kill 16.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iraq, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 16.4 times more strain on fresh water
Colombia withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iraq withdraws 60% as of 2022.
use 11.2% less electricity
Colombia uses 1,551 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Iraq uses 1,377 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 3.6 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Colombia, air pollution causes 24.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iraq, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.9 times more CO2
Colombia emits 1.8 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), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Colombia vs. Iraq
Iraq: At a glance
How big is Iraq compared to Colombia? See an in-depth size comparison.