Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United Kingdom instead of Iraq, you would:
Health
live 9.0 years longer
In Iraq, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.
be 31.0% less likely to be obese
In Iraq, 39.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 27.4% of people as of 2024.
see 7.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Iraq spends $843 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United Kingdom spends $6,606 as of 2024.
have 3.2 times more doctors per person
Iraq has 10.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. United Kingdom has 33.0 as of 2023.
have 49.2% more access to essential health services
Iraq scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United Kingdom scores 88 as of 2021.
be 3.2 times more likely to die by suicide
Iraq has a suicide rate of 3.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Kingdom, it is 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 69.3% less likely to be unemployed
In Iraq, 15.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United Kingdom, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.
make 10.6 times more money
Iraq has a GDP per capita of $5,410 as of 2025, while in United Kingdom, the GDP per capita is $57,602 as of 2025.
Life
be 87.9% 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 United Kingdom, 8.0 women do as of 2023.
be 79.6% 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 United Kingdom, on the other hand, 4.1 children do as of 2024.
have 61.3% fewer children
In Iraq, there are approximately 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Kingdom, there are 9.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 17.2% more likely to have internet access
In Iraq, approximately 81.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United Kingdom, about 95.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.0 times more on healthcare
Iraq spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United Kingdom, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 214.3 times more coastline
Iraq has a total of 58 km of coastline. In United Kingdom, that number is 12,429 km.
Safety
be 88.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Iraq, road accidents kill 21.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United Kingdom, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.4 times more home broadband
Iraq has 17.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United Kingdom has 42.2 as of 2024.
live with 75.9% less strain on fresh water
Iraq withdraws 60% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Kingdom withdraws 14% as of 2022.
use 3.0 times more electricity
Iraq uses 1,377 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United Kingdom uses 4,195 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 85.1% less likely to die from air pollution
In Iraq, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Kingdom, it causes 13.0 as of 2019.
emit 18.5% less CO2
Iraq emits 5.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Kingdom emits 4.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Iraq vs. United Kingdom
United Kingdom: At a glance
How big is United Kingdom compared to Iraq? See an in-depth size comparison.