Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iraq instead of Syria, you would:
Health
see 6.9 times more spent on your healthcare
Syria spends $122 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iraq spends $843 as of 2023.
be 20.3% more likely to be obese
In Syria, 33.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 39.7% of people as of 2024.
have 32.8% fewer doctors per person
Syria has 15.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Iraq has 10.2 as of 2022.
be 5.0 times more likely to die by suicide
Syria has a suicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 5.1 times more money
Syria has a GDP per capita of $1,057 as of 2022, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $5,410 as of 2025.
be 14.1% more likely to be unemployed
In Syria, 13.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2025.
Life
have 10.4% more children
In Syria, there are approximately 23.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iraq, there are 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.3 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Syria, approximately 20.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iraq, 66.0 women do as of 2023.
be 11.0% less likely to be literate
In Syria, the literacy rate is 94.4% as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 84.1% as of 2021.
be 13.6% more likely to die during infancy
In Syria, approximately 17.7 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 13.1% more likely to have access to electricity
In Syria, approximately 88% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 73% 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 74.8% more likely to have internet access
In Syria, approximately 46.6% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Iraq, about 81.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.0 times more on healthcare
Syria spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iraq, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 69.9% less coastline
Syria has a total of 193 km of coastline. In Iraq, that number is 58 km.
Safety
be 28.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In Syria, road accidents kill 29.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iraq, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 4.5 times more likely to be murdered
Syria has a homicide rate of 2.1 per 100,000 people as of 2010. In Iraq, that number is 9.4 per 100,000 as of 2013.
Infrastructure
find 2.6 times more home broadband
Syria has 6.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Iraq has 17.6 as of 2024.
live with 52.1% less strain on fresh water
Syria withdraws 124% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iraq withdraws 60% as of 2022.
use 61.3% more electricity
Syria uses 854 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iraq uses 1,377 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 4.1 times more CO2
Syria emits 1.3 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 (2010–2021), The World Factbook (2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Syria vs. Iraq
Iraq: At a glance
How big is Iraq compared to Syria? See an in-depth size comparison.