Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iraq instead of Saudi Arabia, you would:
Health
live 6.6 years less
In Saudi Arabia, the average life expectancy is 79 years (77 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.
see 75.7% less spent on your healthcare
Saudi Arabia spends $3,475 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iraq spends $843 as of 2023.
have 70.0% fewer doctors per person
Saudi Arabia has 34.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Iraq has 10.2 as of 2022.
have 20.3% less access to essential health services
Saudi Arabia scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iraq scores 59 as of 2021.
be 3.1 times more likely to die by suicide
Saudi Arabia has a suicide rate of 0.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 5.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Saudi Arabia, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2025.
make 84.3% less money
Saudi Arabia has a GDP per capita of $34,537 as of 2025, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $5,410 as of 2025.
Life
have 55.0% more children
In Saudi Arabia, there are approximately 16.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iraq, there are 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 9.4 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Saudi Arabia, approximately 7.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iraq, 66.0 women do as of 2023.
be 14.2% less likely to be literate
In Saudi Arabia, the literacy rate is 97.9% as of 2024. In Iraq, it is 84.1% as of 2021.
be 4.3 times more likely to die during infancy
In Saudi Arabia, approximately 4.7 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 18.5% less likely to have internet access
In Saudi Arabia, approximately 100.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Iraq, about 81.5% do as of 2024.
Geography
see 97.8% less coastline
Saudi Arabia has a total of 2,640 km of coastline. In Iraq, that number is 58 km.
Safety
be 16.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In Saudi Arabia, road accidents kill 18.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iraq, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 93.9% less strain on fresh water
Saudi Arabia withdraws 974% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iraq withdraws 60% as of 2022.
find 60.0% less home broadband
Saudi Arabia has 44.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Iraq has 17.6 as of 2024.
use 88.4% less electricity
Saudi Arabia uses 11,911 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iraq uses 1,377 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 72.0% less CO2
Saudi Arabia emits 18.5 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 (2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Saudi Arabia vs. Iraq
Iraq: At a glance
How big is Iraq compared to Saudi Arabia? See an in-depth size comparison.