Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Iraq instead of New Caledonia, you would:

Health

live 6.5 years less

In New Caledonia, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 38.6% more likely to be unemployed

In New Caledonia, 11.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2025.

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make 81.5% less money

New Caledonia has a GDP per capita of $29,213 as of 2024, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $5,410 as of 2025.

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Life

have 82.3% more children

In New Caledonia, there are approximately 14.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iraq, there are 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Geography

see 97.4% less coastline

New Caledonia has a total of 2,254 km of coastline. In Iraq, that number is 58 km.

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Environment

emit 69.7% less CO2

New Caledonia emits 17.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iraq emits 5.2 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Compare further: New Caledonia vs. Iraq

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Iraq is 68.0% cheaper than New Caledonia overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
New Caledonia is about 24 times smaller than Iraq.
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Moving from New Caledonia to Iraq · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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Iraq: At a glance

Iraq is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 437,367 sq km. Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by Britain during the course of World War I; in 1920, it was declared a League of Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over the next dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. A "republic" was proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series of strongmen ruled the country until 2003. The last was SADDAM Husayn. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and costly eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait but was expelled by US-led, UN coalition forces during the Gulf War of January-February 1991. Following Kuwait's liberation, the UN Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions over a period of 12 years led to the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. US forces remained in Iraq under a UNSC mandate through 2009 and under a bilateral security agreement thereafter, helping to provide security and to train and mentor Iraqi security forces. In October 2005, Iraqis approved a constitution in a national referendum and, pursuant to this document, elected a 275-member Council of Representatives (COR) in December 2005. The COR approved most cabinet ministers in May 2006, marking the transition to Iraq's first constitutional government in nearly a half century. In January 2009 and April 2013, Iraq held elections for provincial councils in all governorates except for the three governorates comprising the Kurdistan Regional Government and Kirkuk Governorate. Iraq held a national legislative election in March 2010 - choosing 325 legislators in an expanded COR - and, after nine months of deadlock the COR approved the new government in December 2010. Nearly nine years after the start of the Second Gulf War in Iraq, US military operations there ended in mid-December 2011.
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How big is Iraq compared to New Caledonia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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