Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 2.3 years longer

In Iraq, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Ukraine, that number is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 42.5% less likely to be obese

In Iraq, 39.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ukraine, that number is 22.8% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

see 64.0% more spent on your healthcare

Iraq spends $843 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ukraine spends $1,382 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

have 3.5 times more doctors per person

Iraq has 10.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Ukraine has 35.3 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 28.8% more access to essential health services

Iraq scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ukraine scores 76 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 7.1 times more likely to die by suicide

Iraq has a suicide rate of 3.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ukraine, it is 21.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 32.6% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Iraq, 17.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Ukraine, however, that number is 23.2% as of 2020.

View global rankings →

Life

be 77.3% 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 Ukraine, 15.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 19.0% more likely to be literate

In Iraq, the literacy rate is 84.1% as of 2021. In Ukraine, it is 100.0% as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 62.2% 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 Ukraine, on the other hand, 7.6 children do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

have 78.6% fewer children

In Iraq, there are approximately 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ukraine, there are 5.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 48.3% more on healthcare

Iraq spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Ukraine, that number is 8.2% of GDP as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 48.0 times more coastline

Iraq has a total of 58 km of coastline. In Ukraine, that number is 2,782 km.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 51.2% less likely to die in a road accident

In Iraq, road accidents kill 21.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Ukraine, they kill 10.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 22.8% more home broadband

Iraq has 17.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ukraine has 21.6 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live with 89.4% less strain on fresh water

Iraq withdraws 60% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ukraine withdraws 6% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

use 82.7% more electricity

Iraq uses 1,377 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Ukraine uses 2,516 kWh as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Environment

be 24.1% less likely to die from air pollution

In Iraq, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ukraine, it causes 66.0 as of 2019.

View global rankings →

emit 39.6% less CO2

Iraq emits 5.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ukraine emits 3.1 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Sources: World Bank (2020–2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: Iraq vs. Ukraine

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Ukraine is 11.7% more expensive than Iraq overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Iraq is about 1.4 times smaller than Ukraine.
→
Moving from Iraq to Ukraine · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Ukraine: At a glance

Ukraine is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 579,330 sq km. Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, Ukraine was able to achieve a short-lived period of independence (1917-20), but was reconquered and forced to endure a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two forced famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for some 7 to 8 million more deaths. Although final independence for Ukraine was achieved in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR, democracy and prosperity remained elusive as the legacy of state control and endemic corruption stalled efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties. A peaceful mass protest "Orange Revolution" in the closing months of 2004 forced the authorities to overturn a rigged presidential election and to allow a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power a reformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. Subsequent internal squabbles in the YUSHCHENKO camp allowed his rival Viktor YANUKOVYCH to stage a comeback in parliamentary (Rada) elections and to become prime minister in August of 2006, and to be elected president in February 2010. In October 2012, Ukraine held Rada elections, widely criticized by Western observers as flawed due to use of government resources to favor ruling party candidates, interference with media access, and harassment of opposition candidates. President YANUKOVYCH's backtracking on a trade and cooperation agreement with the EU in November 2013 - in favor of closer economic ties with Russia - led to a three-month protest occupation of Kyiv's central square. The government's eventual use of force to break up the protest camp in February 2014 led to all out pitched battles, scores of deaths, international condemnation, and the president's abrupt departure to Russia. An interim government scheduled new presidential elections for 25 May 2014. On 1 March 2014, one week after the overthrow in Kyiv, Russian President PUTIN ordered the invasion of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula claiming the action was to protect ethnic Russians living there. On 16 March 2014, a "referendum" was held regarding the integration of Crimea into the Russian Federation. The "referendum" was condemned as illegitimate by the Ukrainian Government, the EU, the US, and the UN General Assembly. Russian forces now occupy Crimea and Russian authorities claim it as Russian territory. The Ukrainian Government asserts that Crimea remains part of Ukraine.
Read more

How big is Ukraine compared to Iraq? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Ukraine or Iraq. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.