Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iraq instead of United Kingdom, you would:
Health
be 68.9% less likely to die by suicide
United Kingdom has a suicide rate of 9.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 9.0 years less
In United Kingdom, the average life expectancy is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 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 45.0% more likely to be obese
In United Kingdom, 27.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 39.7% of people as of 2024.
see 87.2% less spent on your healthcare
United Kingdom spends $6,606 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iraq spends $843 as of 2023.
have 69.0% fewer doctors per person
United Kingdom has 33.0 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Iraq has 10.2 as of 2022.
have 33.0% less access to essential health services
United Kingdom scores 88 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iraq scores 59 as of 2021.
Economy
be 3.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In United Kingdom, 4.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2025.
make 90.6% less money
United Kingdom has a GDP per capita of $57,602 as of 2025, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $5,410 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.6 times more children
In United Kingdom, there are approximately 9.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iraq, there are 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 8.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In United Kingdom, approximately 8.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iraq, 66.0 women do as of 2023.
be 4.9 times more likely to die during infancy
In United Kingdom, approximately 4.1 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 14.7% less likely to have internet access
In United Kingdom, approximately 95.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Iraq, about 81.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 50.3% less on healthcare
United Kingdom spends 11.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 99.5% less coastline
United Kingdom has a total of 12,429 km of coastline. In Iraq, that number is 58 km.
Safety
be 9.0 times more likely to die in a road accident
In United Kingdom, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iraq, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 58.2% less home broadband
United Kingdom has 42.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Iraq has 17.6 as of 2024.
live with 4.2 times more strain on fresh water
United Kingdom withdraws 14% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iraq withdraws 60% as of 2022.
use 67.2% less electricity
United Kingdom uses 4,195 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Iraq uses 1,377 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 6.7 times more likely to die from air pollution
In United Kingdom, air pollution causes 13.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iraq, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 22.7% more CO2
United Kingdom emits 4.2 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 (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: United Kingdom vs. Iraq
Iraq: At a glance
How big is Iraq compared to United Kingdom? See an in-depth size comparison.