Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iraq instead of Mexico, you would:
Health
be 57.3% less likely to die by suicide
Mexico has a suicide rate of 7.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 2.8 years less
In Mexico, the average life expectancy is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 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 38.4% less spent on your healthcare
Mexico spends $1,368 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iraq spends $843 as of 2023.
have 60.5% fewer doctors per person
Mexico has 25.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Iraq has 10.2 as of 2022.
have 21.3% less access to essential health services
Mexico scores 75 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iraq scores 59 as of 2021.
Economy
be 40.9% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Mexico, 29.6% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Iraq, however, that number is 17.5% as of 2023.
be 5.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Mexico, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2025.
make 61.1% less money
Mexico has a GDP per capita of $13,889 as of 2025, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $5,410 as of 2025.
Life
have 65.5% more children
In Mexico, there are approximately 15.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iraq, there are 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 57.1% more likely to die during childbirth
In Mexico, approximately 42.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iraq, 66.0 women do as of 2023.
be 12.0% less likely to be literate
In Mexico, the literacy rate is 95.5% as of 2024. In Iraq, it is 84.1% as of 2021.
be 66.1% more likely to die during infancy
In Mexico, approximately 12.1 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.
Geography
see 99.4% less coastline
Mexico has a total of 9,330 km of coastline. In Iraq, that number is 58 km.
Safety
be 79.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In Mexico, road accidents kill 12.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iraq, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 18.9% less home broadband
Mexico has 21.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Iraq has 17.6 as of 2024.
live with 32.5% more strain on fresh water
Mexico withdraws 45% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iraq withdraws 60% as of 2022.
use 48.2% less electricity
Mexico uses 2,658 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Iraq uses 1,377 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 2.9 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Mexico, air pollution causes 30.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iraq, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 42.3% more CO2
Mexico emits 3.6 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), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Mexico vs. Iraq
Iraq: At a glance
How big is Iraq compared to Mexico? See an in-depth size comparison.