Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iraq instead of Kuwait, you would:
Health
live 12.2 years less
In Kuwait, the average life expectancy is 85 years (84 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
see 67.2% less spent on your healthcare
Kuwait spends $2,567 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iraq spends $843 as of 2023.
have 55.0% fewer doctors per person
Kuwait has 22.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Iraq has 10.2 as of 2022.
have 24.4% less access to essential health services
Kuwait scores 78 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iraq scores 59 as of 2021.
be 28.6% more likely to die by suicide
Kuwait has a suicide rate of 2.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 7.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Kuwait, 2.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2025.
make 83.3% less money
Kuwait has a GDP per capita of $32,312 as of 2025, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $5,410 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.6 times more children
In Kuwait, there are approximately 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iraq, there are 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 8.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Kuwait, approximately 8.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iraq, 66.0 women do as of 2023.
be 12.9% less likely to be literate
In Kuwait, the literacy rate is 96.5% as of 2020. In Iraq, it is 84.1% as of 2021.
be 2.9 times more likely to die during infancy
In Kuwait, approximately 7.0 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 18.5% less likely to have internet access
In Kuwait, approximately 100.0% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Iraq, about 81.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 11.5% more on healthcare
Kuwait spends 5.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iraq, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 88.4% less coastline
Kuwait has a total of 499 km of coastline. In Iraq, that number is 58 km.
Safety
be 2.3 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Kuwait, road accidents kill 9.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iraq, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 17.5 times more home broadband
Kuwait has 1.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Iraq has 17.6 as of 2024.
live with 98.5% less strain on fresh water
Kuwait withdraws 3850% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iraq withdraws 60% as of 2022.
use 91.7% less electricity
Kuwait uses 16,496 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iraq uses 1,377 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 78.1% less CO2
Kuwait emits 23.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iraq emits 5.2 tonnes as of 2024.
be 93.3% more likely to die from air pollution
In Kuwait, air pollution causes 45.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iraq, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Kuwait vs. Iraq
Iraq: At a glance
How big is Iraq compared to Kuwait? See an in-depth size comparison.