Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Gambia instead of Iraq, you would:
Health
be 68.8% less likely to be obese
In Iraq, 39.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 12.4% of people as of 2024.
be 13.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Iraq, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 1.3% of people as of 2024.
live 6.4 years less
In Iraq, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
see 88.8% less spent on your healthcare
Iraq spends $843 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Gambia spends $94 as of 2023.
have 91.2% fewer doctors per person
Iraq has 10.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Gambia has 0.9 as of 2023.
have 22.0% less access to essential health services
Iraq scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Gambia scores 46 as of 2021.
be 62.0% more likely to die by suicide
Iraq has a suicide rate of 3.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Gambia, it is 4.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 57.9% less likely to be unemployed
In Iraq, 15.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Gambia, that number is 6.5% as of 2025.
be 3.1 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Iraq, 17.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Gambia, however, that number is 53.4% as of 2020.
make 83.0% less money
Iraq has a GDP per capita of $5,410 as of 2025, while in Gambia, the GDP per capita is $919 as of 2025.
Life
have 16.7% more children
In Iraq, there are approximately 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Gambia, there are 29.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 5.4 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Iraq, approximately 66.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Gambia, 354.0 women do as of 2023.
be 38.6% less likely to be literate
In Iraq, the literacy rate is 84.1% as of 2021. In Gambia, it is 51.6% as of 2021.
be 62.7% more likely to die during infancy
In Iraq, approximately 20.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Gambia, on the other hand, 32.7 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 33.1% less likely to have access to electricity
In Iraq, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Gambia, that number is 67% of people on average (85% in urban areas, and 35% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 39.3% less likely to have internet access
In Iraq, approximately 81.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Gambia, about 49.5% do as of 2024.
be 11.5% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Iraq, approximately 98% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 87% of people on average (92% in urban areas, and 78% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 47.7% less on healthcare
Iraq spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Gambia, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 37.9% more coastline
Iraq has a total of 58 km of coastline. In Gambia, that number is 80 km.
Infrastructure
live with 96.3% less strain on fresh water
Iraq withdraws 60% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Gambia withdraws 2% as of 2022.
find 97.1% less home broadband
Iraq has 17.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Gambia has 0.5 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 96.5% less CO2
Iraq emits 5.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Gambia emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Iraq vs. Gambia
Gambia: At a glance
How big is Gambia compared to Iraq? See an in-depth size comparison.