Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

have 52.3% more doctors per person

Egypt has 6.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Iraq has 10.2 as of 2022.

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have 15.7% less access to essential health services

Egypt scores 70 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iraq scores 59 as of 2021.

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be 4.7 times more likely to die by suicide

Egypt has a suicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 47.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Egypt, 33.5% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Iraq, however, that number is 17.5% as of 2023.

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make 75.3% more money

Egypt has a GDP per capita of $3,086 as of 2025, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $5,410 as of 2025.

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be 2.3 times more likely to be unemployed

In Egypt, 6.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2025.

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Life

have 22.3% more children

In Egypt, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iraq, there are 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 3.9 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Egypt, approximately 17.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iraq, 66.0 women do as of 2023.

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Expenditures

spend 13.3% more on healthcare

Egypt spends 4.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iraq, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 97.6% less coastline

Egypt has a total of 2,450 km of coastline. In Iraq, that number is 58 km.

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Safety

be 2.3 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Egypt, road accidents kill 9.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iraq, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 50.8% more home broadband

Egypt has 11.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Iraq has 17.6 as of 2024.

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live with 57.8% less strain on fresh water

Egypt withdraws 141% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iraq withdraws 60% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 17.1% less likely to die from air pollution

In Egypt, air pollution causes 105.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iraq, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.

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emit 2.1 times more CO2

Egypt emits 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iraq emits 5.2 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Compare further: Egypt vs. Iraq

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Iraq is 75.1% more expensive than Egypt overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Egypt is about 2.3 times bigger than Iraq.
→
Moving from Egypt to Iraq · UN DESA 2020
14,498 people born in Egypt live in Iraq.
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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.
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