Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iraq instead of Serbia, you would:
Health
be 80.4% less likely to die by suicide
Serbia has a suicide rate of 15.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 3.5 years less
In Serbia, the average life expectancy is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 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 81.7% more likely to be obese
In Serbia, 21.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 39.7% of people as of 2024.
see 63.4% less spent on your healthcare
Serbia spends $2,303 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iraq spends $843 as of 2023.
have 67.0% fewer doctors per person
Serbia has 31.0 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Iraq has 10.2 as of 2022.
have 18.1% less access to essential health services
Serbia scores 72 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iraq scores 59 as of 2021.
Economy
be 11.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Serbia, 19.7% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Iraq, however, that number is 17.5% as of 2023.
be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Serbia, 7.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2025.
make 64.6% less money
Serbia has a GDP per capita of $15,262 as of 2025, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $5,410 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.8 times more children
In Serbia, there are approximately 9.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iraq, there are 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 6.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Serbia, approximately 11.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iraq, 66.0 women do as of 2023.
be 15.4% less likely to be literate
In Serbia, the literacy rate is 99.3% as of 2022. In Iraq, it is 84.1% as of 2021.
be 4.4 times more likely to die during infancy
In Serbia, approximately 4.6 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.
Expenditures
spend 31.1% less on healthcare
Serbia spends 8.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iraq, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 2.9 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Serbia, road accidents kill 7.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iraq, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 47.2% less home broadband
Serbia has 33.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Iraq has 17.6 as of 2024.
live with 10.4 times more strain on fresh water
Serbia withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iraq withdraws 60% as of 2022.
use 72.9% less electricity
Serbia uses 5,090 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iraq uses 1,377 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 93.3% more likely to die from air pollution
In Serbia, air pollution causes 45.0 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). How we calculate this
Compare further: Serbia vs. Iraq
Iraq: At a glance
How big is Iraq compared to Serbia? See an in-depth size comparison.