Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iraq instead of Jamaica, you would:
Health
be 90.9% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Jamaica, 1.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 0.1% of people as of 2024.
live 0.8 years longer
In Jamaica, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
have 2.2 times more doctors per person
Jamaica has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Iraq has 10.2 as of 2022.
be 12.8% more likely to be obese
In Jamaica, 35.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 39.7% of people as of 2024.
have 20.3% less access to essential health services
Jamaica scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iraq scores 59 as of 2021.
be 75.7% more likely to die by suicide
Jamaica has a suicide rate of 1.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 4.7 times more likely to be unemployed
In Jamaica, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2025.
be 2.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Jamaica, 7.8% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Iraq, however, that number is 17.5% as of 2023.
make 32.4% less money
Jamaica has a GDP per capita of $8,003 as of 2025, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $5,410 as of 2025.
Life
be 49.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Jamaica, approximately 130.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iraq, 66.0 women do as of 2023.
have 2.2 times more children
In Jamaica, there are approximately 11.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iraq, there are 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 22.6% more likely to die during infancy
In Jamaica, approximately 16.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Iraq, on the other hand, 20.1 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 12.4% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Jamaica, approximately 88% of people have access to drinking water (90% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 98% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 27.2% less on healthcare
Jamaica spends 7.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iraq, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 94.3% less coastline
Jamaica has a total of 1,022 km of coastline. In Iraq, that number is 58 km.
Safety
be 20.8% more likely to die in a road accident
In Jamaica, road accidents kill 17.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iraq, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 10.3% more home broadband
Jamaica has 16.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Iraq has 17.6 as of 2024.
use 14.3% more electricity
Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iraq uses 1,377 kWh as of 2023.
live with 4.8 times more strain on fresh water
Jamaica withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iraq withdraws 60% as of 2022.
Environment
be 4.0 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Jamaica, air pollution causes 22.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iraq, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 82.4% more CO2
Jamaica emits 2.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iraq emits 5.2 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: Jamaica vs. Iraq
Iraq: At a glance
How big is Iraq compared to Jamaica? See an in-depth size comparison.