Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Puerto Rico instead of Iraq, you would:

Health

live 9.5 years longer

In Iraq, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, that number is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 82.5% more likely to die by suicide

Iraq has a suicide rate of 3.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, it is 5.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 61.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Iraq, 15.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Puerto Rico, that number is 6.0% as of 2025.

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make 7.5 times more money

Iraq has a GDP per capita of $5,410 as of 2025, while in Puerto Rico, the GDP per capita is $40,620 as of 2025.

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Life

be 83.3% 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 Puerto Rico, 11.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 70.0% 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 Puerto Rico, on the other hand, 6.0 children do as of 2022.

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have 77.7% fewer children

In Iraq, there are approximately 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, there are 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Geography

see 8.6 times more coastline

Iraq has a total of 58 km of coastline. In Puerto Rico, that number is 501 km.

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Safety

be 41.9% less likely to die in a road accident

In Iraq, road accidents kill 21.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, they kill 12.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 58.8% more home broadband

Iraq has 17.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Puerto Rico has 28.0 as of 2024.

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live with 67.2% less strain on fresh water

Iraq withdraws 60% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Puerto Rico withdraws 20% as of 2022.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), The World Factbook (2022), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this

Compare further: Iraq vs. Puerto Rico

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Puerto Rico is 2.7 times more expensive than Iraq overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Iraq is about 48 times bigger than Puerto Rico.
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Moving from Iraq to Puerto Rico · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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Puerto Rico: At a glance

Puerto Rico is a territory in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 8,959 sq km. Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Christopher COLUMBUS' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose not to alter the existing political status with the US, but the results of a 2012 vote left open the possibility of American statehood.
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