Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of Iraq, you would:
Health
live 6.5 years longer
In Iraq, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 16.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Iraq spends $843 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
have 3.6 times more doctors per person
Iraq has 10.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. United States has 36.8 as of 2022.
have 45.8% more access to essential health services
Iraq scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United States scores 86 as of 2021.
be 5.3 times more likely to die by suicide
Iraq has a suicide rate of 3.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 72.9% less likely to be unemployed
In Iraq, 15.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United States, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
make 16.6 times more money
Iraq has a GDP per capita of $5,410 as of 2025, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
Life
be 74.2% 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 States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 72.6% 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 States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
have 58.6% fewer children
In Iraq, there are approximately 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 16.2% more likely to have internet access
In Iraq, approximately 81.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United States, about 94.7% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 3.0 times more on healthcare
Iraq spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 343.5 times more coastline
Iraq has a total of 58 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.
Safety
be 34.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Iraq, road accidents kill 21.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United States, they kill 14.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.2 times more home broadband
Iraq has 17.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United States has 38.9 as of 2024.
live with 52.7% less strain on fresh water
Iraq withdraws 60% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United States withdraws 28% as of 2022.
use 9.3 times more electricity
Iraq uses 1,377 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United States uses 12,839 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 83.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Iraq, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United States, it causes 14.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.6 times more CO2
Iraq emits 5.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Iraq vs. United States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to Iraq? See an in-depth size comparison.