Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iraq instead of Rwanda, you would:
Health
be 95.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Rwanda, 2.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 0.1% of people as of 2024.
live 4.4 years longer
In Rwanda, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 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 4.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Rwanda spends $177 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iraq spends $843 as of 2023.
have 11.4 times more doctors per person
Rwanda has 0.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Iraq has 10.2 as of 2022.
have 20.4% more access to essential health services
Rwanda scores 49 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iraq scores 59 as of 2021.
be 65.8% less likely to die by suicide
Rwanda has a suicide rate of 8.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 7.1 times more likely to be obese
In Rwanda, 5.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 39.7% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 36.1% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Rwanda, 27.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Iraq, however, that number is 17.5% as of 2023.
make 4.8 times more money
Rwanda has a GDP per capita of $1,124 as of 2025, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $5,410 as of 2025.
be 36.3% more likely to be unemployed
In Rwanda, 11.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 71.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Rwanda, approximately 229.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iraq, 66.0 women do as of 2023.
be 31.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Rwanda, approximately 29.4 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 56.5% more likely to have access to electricity
In Rwanda, approximately 64% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 58% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Iraq, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 2.6 times more likely to have internet access
In Rwanda, approximately 31.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Iraq, about 81.5% do as of 2024.
be 60.3% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Rwanda, approximately 61% of people have access to drinking water (88% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 98% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Safety
be 85.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Rwanda, road accidents kill 11.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iraq, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 29.4 times more home broadband
Rwanda has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Iraq has 17.6 as of 2024.
use 18.0 times more electricity
Rwanda uses 77 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iraq uses 1,377 kWh as of 2023.
live with 2.9 times more strain on fresh water
Rwanda withdraws 20% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iraq withdraws 60% as of 2022.
Environment
be 40.3% more likely to die from air pollution
In Rwanda, air pollution causes 62.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iraq, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 32.4 times more CO2
Rwanda emits 0.2 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). How we calculate this
Compare further: Rwanda vs. Iraq
Iraq: At a glance
How big is Iraq compared to Rwanda? See an in-depth size comparison.