Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Rwanda instead of Iraq, you would:
Health
be 85.9% less likely to be obese
In Iraq, 39.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Rwanda, that number is 5.6% of people as of 2024.
be 20.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Iraq, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Rwanda, that number is 2.0% of people as of 2024.
live 4.4 years less
In Iraq, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Rwanda, that number is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.
see 79.0% less spent on your healthcare
Iraq spends $843 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Rwanda spends $177 as of 2023.
have 91.2% fewer doctors per person
Iraq has 10.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Rwanda has 0.9 as of 2022.
have 16.9% less access to essential health services
Iraq scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Rwanda scores 49 as of 2021.
be 2.9 times more likely to die by suicide
Iraq has a suicide rate of 3.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Rwanda, it is 8.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 26.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Iraq, 15.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Rwanda, that number is 11.4% as of 2025.
be 56.6% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Iraq, 17.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Rwanda, however, that number is 27.4% as of 2023.
make 79.2% less money
Iraq has a GDP per capita of $5,410 as of 2025, while in Rwanda, the GDP per capita is $1,124 as of 2025.
Life
be 3.5 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 Rwanda, 229.0 women do as of 2023.
be 46.3% 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 Rwanda, on the other hand, 29.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 36.1% 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 Rwanda, that number is 64% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 58% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 61.1% less likely to have internet access
In Iraq, approximately 81.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Rwanda, about 31.7% do as of 2024.
be 37.6% 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 Rwanda, that number is 61% of people on average (88% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Safety
be 46.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Iraq, road accidents kill 21.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Rwanda, they kill 11.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 66.1% less strain on fresh water
Iraq withdraws 60% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Rwanda withdraws 20% as of 2022.
find 96.6% less home broadband
Iraq has 17.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Rwanda has 0.6 as of 2024.
use 94.4% less electricity
Iraq uses 1,377 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Rwanda uses 77 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 28.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Iraq, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Rwanda, it causes 62.0 as of 2019.
emit 96.9% less CO2
Iraq emits 5.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Rwanda emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Iraq vs. Rwanda
Rwanda: At a glance
How big is Rwanda compared to Iraq? See an in-depth size comparison.