Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iraq instead of Senegal, you would:
Health
live 3.5 years longer
In Senegal, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 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 4.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Senegal spends $206 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iraq spends $843 as of 2023.
have 9.4 times more doctors per person
Senegal has 1.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Iraq has 10.2 as of 2022.
have 18.0% more access to essential health services
Senegal scores 50 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iraq scores 59 as of 2021.
be 56.1% less likely to die by suicide
Senegal has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.4 times more likely to be obese
In Senegal, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 39.7% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 53.3% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Senegal, 37.5% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Iraq, however, that number is 17.5% as of 2023.
make 2.8 times more money
Senegal has a GDP per capita of $1,955 as of 2025, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $5,410 as of 2025.
be 5.7 times more likely to be unemployed
In Senegal, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 72.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Senegal, approximately 237.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iraq, 66.0 women do as of 2023.
be 66.9% more likely to be literate
In Senegal, the literacy rate is 50.4% as of 2023. In Iraq, it is 84.1% as of 2021.
be 30.4% less likely to die during infancy
In Senegal, approximately 28.9 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.
have 12.3% fewer children
In Senegal, there are approximately 29.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iraq, there are 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 34.8% more likely to have access to electricity
In Senegal, approximately 74% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 56% 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 35.5% more likely to have internet access
In Senegal, approximately 60.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Iraq, about 81.5% do as of 2024.
be 11.8% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Senegal, approximately 88% of people have access to drinking water (95% in urban areas, and 81% 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.
Expenditures
spend 28.0% more on healthcare
Senegal spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iraq, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 89.1% less coastline
Senegal has a total of 531 km of coastline. In Iraq, that number is 58 km.
Safety
be 34.8 times more likely to be murdered
Senegal has a homicide rate of 0.3 per 100,000 people as of 2015. In Iraq, that number is 9.4 per 100,000 as of 2013.
Infrastructure
find 4.4 times more home broadband
Senegal has 4.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Iraq has 17.6 as of 2024.
use 3.4 times more electricity
Senegal uses 410 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iraq uses 1,377 kWh as of 2023.
live with 3.7 times more strain on fresh water
Senegal withdraws 16% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iraq withdraws 60% as of 2022.
Environment
be 33.8% more likely to die from air pollution
In Senegal, air pollution causes 65.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iraq, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 6.7 times more CO2
Senegal emits 0.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iraq emits 5.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2013–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Senegal vs. Iraq
Iraq: At a glance
How big is Iraq compared to Senegal? See an in-depth size comparison.