Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Iraq instead of Palau, you would:

Health

live 3.0 years longer

In Palau, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 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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see 54.6% less spent on your healthcare

Palau spends $1,857 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iraq spends $843 as of 2023.

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have 43.5% fewer doctors per person

Palau has 18.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Iraq has 10.2 as of 2022.

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Economy

make 72.3% less money

Palau has a GDP per capita of $19,532 as of 2025, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $5,410 as of 2025.

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Life

be 25.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In Palau, approximately 89.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iraq, 66.0 women do as of 2023.

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have 2.4 times more children

In Palau, there are approximately 10.7 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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be 15.8% less likely to be literate

In Palau, the literacy rate is 99.8% as of 2020. In Iraq, it is 84.1% as of 2021.

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Expenditures

spend 49.0% less on healthcare

Palau spends 10.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iraq, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 96.2% less coastline

Palau has a total of 1,519 km of coastline. In Iraq, that number is 58 km.

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Infrastructure

find 2.4 times more home broadband

Palau has 7.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Iraq has 17.6 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 93.7% less CO2

Palau emits 82.8 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 (2020–2025), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Compare further: Palau vs. Iraq

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Iraq is 62.0% cheaper than Palau overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Palau is about 955 times smaller than Iraq.
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Moving from Palau 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 Palau? See an in-depth size comparison.

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