Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iraq instead of Sudan, you would:
Health
live 5.9 years longer
In Sudan, the average life expectancy is 67 years (63 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 29.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Sudan spends $28 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iraq spends $843 as of 2023.
have 34.1% more access to essential health services
Sudan scores 44 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iraq scores 59 as of 2021.
be 2.2 times more likely to be obese
In Sudan, 17.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 39.7% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 4.6 times more money
Sudan has a GDP per capita of $1,165 as of 2025, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $5,410 as of 2025.
be 35.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Sudan, 11.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2023. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 74.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Sudan, approximately 256.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iraq, 66.0 women do as of 2023.
be 38.5% more likely to be literate
In Sudan, the literacy rate is 60.7% as of 2018. In Iraq, it is 84.1% as of 2021.
be 53.1% less likely to die during infancy
In Sudan, approximately 42.9 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 22.5% fewer children
In Sudan, there are approximately 33.0 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 51.5% more likely to have access to electricity
In Sudan, approximately 66% of people have electricity access (87% in urban areas, and 54% 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 2.8 times more likely to have internet access
In Sudan, approximately 28.7% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Iraq, about 81.5% do as of 2024.
be 51.7% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Sudan, approximately 65% of people have access to drinking water (74% in urban areas, and 60% 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 94.0% more on healthcare
Sudan spends 2.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iraq, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 93.2% less coastline
Sudan has a total of 853 km of coastline. In Iraq, that number is 58 km.
Infrastructure
find 293.8 times more home broadband
Sudan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Iraq has 17.6 as of 2024.
live with 49.8% less strain on fresh water
Sudan withdraws 119% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iraq withdraws 60% as of 2022.
use 6.2 times more electricity
Sudan uses 223 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iraq uses 1,377 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 24.3% more likely to die from air pollution
In Sudan, air pollution causes 70.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iraq, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 12.0 times more CO2
Sudan emits 0.4 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 (2019–2022), The World Factbook (2018–2023), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Sudan vs. Iraq
Iraq: At a glance
How big is Iraq compared to Sudan? See an in-depth size comparison.