Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iraq instead of Russia, you would:
Health
be 86.1% less likely to die by suicide
Russia has a suicide rate of 21.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 1.0 years less
In Russia, the average life expectancy is 73 years (68 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.3 times more likely to be obese
In Russia, 17.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 39.7% of people as of 2024.
see 73.7% less spent on your healthcare
Russia spends $3,204 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iraq spends $843 as of 2023.
have 80.0% fewer doctors per person
Russia has 51.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Iraq has 10.2 as of 2022.
have 25.3% less access to essential health services
Russia scores 79 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iraq scores 59 as of 2021.
Economy
be 7.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In Russia, 2.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2025.
be 2.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Russia, 7.2% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Iraq, however, that number is 17.5% as of 2023.
make 69.2% less money
Russia has a GDP per capita of $17,547 as of 2025, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $5,410 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.0 times more children
In Russia, there are approximately 8.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iraq, there are 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 7.3 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Russia, approximately 9.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iraq, 66.0 women do as of 2023.
be 15.9% less likely to be literate
In Russia, the literacy rate is 99.9% as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 84.1% as of 2021.
be 4.9 times more likely to die during infancy
In Russia, approximately 4.1 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.
Basic Needs
be 13.7% less likely to have internet access
In Russia, approximately 94.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Iraq, about 81.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 21.4% less on healthcare
Russia spends 7.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iraq, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 99.8% less coastline
Russia has a total of 37,653 km of coastline. In Iraq, that number is 58 km.
Safety
be 2.0 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Russia, road accidents kill 10.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iraq, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 35.0% less home broadband
Russia has 27.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Iraq has 17.6 as of 2024.
live with 14.5 times more strain on fresh water
Russia withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iraq withdraws 60% as of 2022.
use 81.1% less electricity
Russia uses 7,285 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iraq uses 1,377 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 62.9% less CO2
Russia emits 14.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iraq emits 5.2 tonnes as of 2024.
be 2.2 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Russia, air pollution causes 39.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iraq, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Russia vs. Iraq
Iraq: At a glance
How big is Iraq compared to Russia? See an in-depth size comparison.