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

Health

live 5.5 years longer

In Iraq, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Peru, that number is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 26.6% less likely to be obese

In Iraq, 39.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Peru, that number is 29.1% of people as of 2024.

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see 13.5% more spent on your healthcare

Iraq spends $843 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Peru spends $956 as of 2023.

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have 65.2% more doctors per person

Iraq has 10.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Peru has 16.9 as of 2023.

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have 20.3% more access to essential health services

Iraq scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Peru scores 71 as of 2021.

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be 48.1% less likely to die by suicide

Iraq has a suicide rate of 3.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Peru, it is 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 66.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Iraq, 15.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Peru, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.

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make 79.0% more money

Iraq has a GDP per capita of $5,410 as of 2025, while in Peru, the GDP per capita is $9,684 as of 2025.

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be 46.9% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Iraq, 17.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Peru, however, that number is 25.7% as of 2025.

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Life

be 22.7% less 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 Peru, 51.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 11.4% more likely to be literate

In Iraq, the literacy rate is 84.1% as of 2021. In Peru, it is 93.7% as of 2024.

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be 45.3% less 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 Peru, on the other hand, 11.0 children do as of 2024.

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have 38.4% fewer children

In Iraq, there are approximately 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Peru, there are 15.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Geography

see 41.6 times more coastline

Iraq has a total of 58 km of coastline. In Peru, that number is 2,414 km.

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Safety

be 40.9% less likely to die in a road accident

In Iraq, road accidents kill 21.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Peru, they kill 12.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 91.9% less strain on fresh water

Iraq withdraws 60% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Peru withdraws 5% as of 2022.

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use 15.8% more electricity

Iraq uses 1,377 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Peru uses 1,595 kWh as of 2023.

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find 33.7% less home broadband

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

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Environment

be 70.1% less likely to die from air pollution

In Iraq, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Peru, it causes 26.0 as of 2019.

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emit 61.0% less CO2

Iraq emits 5.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Peru emits 2.0 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Peru: At a glance

Peru is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 1,279,996 sq km. Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peruvian independence was declared in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces were defeated in 1824. After a dozen years of military rule, Peru returned to democratic leadership in 1980, but experienced economic problems and the growth of a violent insurgency. President Alberto FUJIMORI's election in 1990 ushered in a decade that saw a dramatic turnaround in the economy and significant progress in curtailing guerrilla activity. Nevertheless, the president's increasing reliance on authoritarian measures and an economic slump in the late 1990s generated mounting dissatisfaction with his regime, which led to his resignation in 2000. A caretaker government oversaw new elections in the spring of 2001, which installed Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique as the new head of government - Peru's first democratically elected president of indigenous ethnicity. The presidential election of 2006 saw the return of Alan GARCIA Perez who, after a disappointing presidential term from 1985 to 1990, oversaw a robust economic rebound. In June 2011, former army officer Ollanta HUMALA Tasso was elected president, defeating Keiko FUJIMORI Higuchi, the daughter of Alberto FUJIMORI. Since his election, HUMALA has carried on the sound, market-oriented economic policies of the three preceding administrations.
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