Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iraq instead of Ecuador, you would:
Health
be 60.7% less likely to die by suicide
Ecuador has a suicide rate of 7.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 5.2 years less
In Ecuador, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 80 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 37.2% more likely to be obese
In Ecuador, 28.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 39.7% of people as of 2024.
see 31.9% less spent on your healthcare
Ecuador spends $1,238 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iraq spends $843 as of 2023.
have 55.8% fewer doctors per person
Ecuador has 23.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Iraq has 10.2 as of 2022.
have 23.4% less access to essential health services
Ecuador scores 77 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iraq scores 59 as of 2021.
Economy
be 18.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Ecuador, 21.4% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In Iraq, however, that number is 17.5% as of 2023.
be 4.7 times more likely to be unemployed
In Ecuador, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2025.
make 24.1% less money
Ecuador has a GDP per capita of $7,125 as of 2025, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $5,410 as of 2025.
Life
have 72.6% more children
In Ecuador, there are approximately 14.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iraq, there are 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 20.0% more likely to die during childbirth
In Ecuador, approximately 55.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iraq, 66.0 women do as of 2023.
be 10.1% less likely to be literate
In Ecuador, the literacy rate is 93.5% as of 2024. In Iraq, it is 84.1% as of 2021.
be 84.4% more likely to die during infancy
In Ecuador, approximately 10.9 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 26.9% less on healthcare
Ecuador spends 7.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iraq, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 97.4% less coastline
Ecuador has a total of 2,237 km of coastline. In Iraq, that number is 58 km.
Infrastructure
live with 8.8 times more strain on fresh water
Ecuador withdraws 7% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iraq withdraws 60% as of 2022.
use 17.8% less electricity
Ecuador uses 1,676 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iraq uses 1,377 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 3.8 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Ecuador, air pollution causes 23.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iraq, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 96.2% more CO2
Ecuador emits 2.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iraq emits 5.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Ecuador vs. Iraq
Iraq: At a glance
How big is Iraq compared to Ecuador? See an in-depth size comparison.