Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Turkmenistan instead of Iraq, you would:
Health
be 44.0% less likely to be obese
In Iraq, 39.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2024.
see 50.0% more spent on your healthcare
Iraq spends $843 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Turkmenistan spends $1,264 as of 2023.
have 88.8% more doctors per person
Iraq has 10.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Turkmenistan has 19.3 as of 2023.
have 27.1% more access to essential health services
Iraq scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Turkmenistan scores 75 as of 2021.
live 2.2 years less
In Iraq, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.3 times more likely to die by suicide
Iraq has a suicide rate of 3.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, it is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 72.4% less likely to be unemployed
In Iraq, 15.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Turkmenistan, that number is 4.3% as of 2025.
make 20.9% more money
Iraq has a GDP per capita of $5,410 as of 2025, while in Turkmenistan, the GDP per capita is $6,540 as of 2025.
Life
be 92.4% 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 Turkmenistan, 5.0 women do as of 2023.
be 18.8% more likely to be literate
In Iraq, the literacy rate is 84.1% as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, it is 99.9% as of 2022.
be 51.2% 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 Turkmenistan, on the other hand, 30.4 children do as of 2024.
have 18.3% fewer children
In Iraq, there are approximately 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 68.9% less likely to have internet access
In Iraq, approximately 81.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, about 25.3% do as of 2022.
Safety
be 89.3% less likely to be murdered
Iraq has a homicide rate of 9.4 per 100,000 people as of 2013. In Turkmenistan, that number is 1.0 per 100,000 as of 2015.
be 62.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Iraq, road accidents kill 21.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, they kill 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 2.0 times more electricity
Iraq uses 1,377 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh as of 2023.
find 70.4% less home broadband
Iraq has 17.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Turkmenistan has 5.2 as of 2022.
live with 2.3 times more strain on fresh water
Iraq withdraws 60% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Turkmenistan withdraws 135% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 2.1 times more CO2
Iraq emits 5.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Turkmenistan emits 10.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2013–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Iraq vs. Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: At a glance
How big is Turkmenistan compared to Iraq? See an in-depth size comparison.