Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iraq instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
see 22.2% more spent on your healthcare
Vietnam spends $690 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iraq spends $843 as of 2023.
be 59.3% less likely to die by suicide
Vietnam has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 2.3 years less
In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 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 16.5 times more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 39.7% of people as of 2024.
have 13.2% less access to essential health services
Vietnam scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iraq scores 59 as of 2021.
Economy
be 10.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2025.
be 4.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Vietnam, 4.2% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Iraq, however, that number is 17.5% as of 2023.
Life
have 90.6% more children
In Vietnam, there are approximately 13.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iraq, there are 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 37.5% more likely to die during childbirth
In Vietnam, approximately 48.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iraq, 66.0 women do as of 2023.
be 12.6% less likely to be literate
In Vietnam, the literacy rate is 96.1% as of 2022. In Iraq, it is 84.1% as of 2021.
be 67.5% more likely to die during infancy
In Vietnam, approximately 12.0 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 21.3% more on healthcare
Vietnam spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iraq, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 98.3% less coastline
Vietnam has a total of 3,444 km of coastline. In Iraq, that number is 58 km.
Safety
be 6.3 times more likely to be murdered
Vietnam has a homicide rate of 1.5 per 100,000 people as of 2011. In Iraq, that number is 9.4 per 100,000 as of 2013.
be 21.5% more likely to die in a road accident
In Vietnam, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iraq, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 25.6% less home broadband
Vietnam has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Iraq has 17.6 as of 2024.
live with 3.3 times more strain on fresh water
Vietnam withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iraq withdraws 60% as of 2022.
use 46.7% less electricity
Vietnam uses 2,585 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iraq uses 1,377 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 67.3% more likely to die from air pollution
In Vietnam, air pollution causes 52.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iraq, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 21.3% more CO2
Vietnam emits 4.3 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 (2011–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Vietnam vs. Iraq
Iraq: At a glance
How big is Iraq compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.