Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iraq instead of Pakistan, you would:
Health
live 4.6 years longer
In Pakistan, the average life expectancy is 68 years (65 years for men, 70 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 5.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Pakistan spends $152 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iraq spends $843 as of 2023.
have 31.1% more access to essential health services
Pakistan scores 45 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iraq scores 59 as of 2021.
be 47.3% less likely to die by suicide
Pakistan has a suicide rate of 5.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 61.9% more likely to be obese
In Pakistan, 24.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 39.7% of people as of 2024.
have 11.9% fewer doctors per person
Pakistan has 11.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Iraq has 10.2 as of 2022.
Economy
be 39.4% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Pakistan, 28.9% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Iraq, however, that number is 17.5% as of 2023.
make 3.4 times more money
Pakistan has a GDP per capita of $1,596 as of 2025, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $5,410 as of 2025.
be 2.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In Pakistan, 5.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 57.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In Pakistan, approximately 155.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iraq, 66.0 women do as of 2023.
be 42.8% more likely to be literate
In Pakistan, the literacy rate is 58.9% as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 84.1% as of 2021.
be 58.3% less likely to die during infancy
In Pakistan, approximately 48.2 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 42.3% more likely to have internet access
In Pakistan, approximately 57.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Iraq, about 81.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.2 times more on healthcare
Pakistan spends 2.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iraq, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 94.5% less coastline
Pakistan has a total of 1,046 km of coastline. In Iraq, that number is 58 km.
Safety
be 80.7% more likely to die in a road accident
In Pakistan, road accidents kill 11.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iraq, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 12.0 times more home broadband
Pakistan has 1.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Iraq has 17.6 as of 2024.
live with 45.8% less strain on fresh water
Pakistan withdraws 110% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iraq withdraws 60% as of 2022.
use 2.7 times more electricity
Pakistan uses 518 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iraq uses 1,377 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 17.1% less likely to die from air pollution
In Pakistan, air pollution causes 105.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iraq, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 6.4 times more CO2
Pakistan emits 0.8 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: Pakistan vs. Iraq
Iraq: At a glance
How big is Iraq compared to Pakistan? See an in-depth size comparison.