Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iraq instead of Iran, you would:
Health
be 27.0% less likely to die by suicide
Iran has a suicide rate of 4.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 5.4 years less
In Iran, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 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 61.6% more likely to be obese
In Iran, 24.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 39.7% of people as of 2024.
see 20.8% less spent on your healthcare
Iran spends $1,064 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iraq spends $843 as of 2023.
have 43.6% fewer doctors per person
Iran has 18.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Iraq has 10.2 as of 2022.
have 20.3% less access to essential health services
Iran scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iraq scores 59 as of 2021.
Economy
make 37.8% more money
Iran has a GDP per capita of $3,924 as of 2025, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $5,410 as of 2025.
be 86.5% more likely to be unemployed
In Iran, 8.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2025.
Life
have 2.0 times more children
In Iran, there are approximately 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iraq, there are 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 4.1 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Iran, approximately 16.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iraq, 66.0 women do as of 2023.
be 95.1% more likely to die during infancy
In Iran, approximately 10.3 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.
Geography
see 97.6% less coastline
Iran has a total of 2,440 km of coastline. In Iraq, that number is 58 km.
Safety
be 3.9 times more likely to be murdered
Iran has a homicide rate of 2.4 per 100,000 people as of 2014. In Iraq, that number is 9.4 per 100,000 as of 2013.
Infrastructure
find 46.2% more home broadband
Iran has 12.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Iraq has 17.6 as of 2024.
live with 26.7% less strain on fresh water
Iran withdraws 81% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iraq withdraws 60% as of 2022.
use 63.9% less electricity
Iran uses 3,815 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iraq uses 1,377 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 42.8% less CO2
Iran emits 9.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iraq emits 5.2 tonnes as of 2024.
be 70.6% more likely to die from air pollution
In Iran, air pollution causes 51.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iraq, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2013–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Iran vs. Iraq
Iraq: At a glance
How big is Iraq compared to Iran? See an in-depth size comparison.