Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iraq instead of Yemen, you would:
Health
live 3.0 years longer
In Yemen, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 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 5.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Yemen spends $169 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iraq spends $843 as of 2023.
have 10.4 times more doctors per person
Yemen has 1.0 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Iraq has 10.2 as of 2022.
have 40.5% more access to essential health services
Yemen scores 42 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iraq scores 59 as of 2021.
be 29.5% less likely to die by suicide
Yemen has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.0 times more likely to be obese
In Yemen, 13.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iraq, that number is 39.7% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 10.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Yemen, 17.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2025.
Life
be 44.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In Yemen, approximately 118.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iraq, 66.0 women do as of 2023.
be 40.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Yemen, approximately 33.8 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 25.6% fewer children
In Yemen, there are approximately 34.4 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 19.6% more likely to have access to electricity
In Yemen, approximately 84% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 75% 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 4.6 times more likely to have internet access
In Yemen, approximately 17.7% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Iraq, about 81.5% do as of 2024.
be 31.1% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Yemen, approximately 75% of people have access to drinking water (89% in urban areas, and 66% 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 43.0% less on healthcare
Yemen spends 9.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iraq, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 97.0% less coastline
Yemen has a total of 1,906 km of coastline. In Iraq, that number is 58 km.
Safety
be 27.9% less likely to die in a road accident
In Yemen, road accidents kill 29.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iraq, they kill 21.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 49.2% more likely to be murdered
Yemen has a homicide rate of 6.3 per 100,000 people as of 2013. In Iraq, that number is 9.4 per 100,000 as of 2013.
Infrastructure
find 13.9 times more home broadband
Yemen has 1.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Iraq has 17.6 as of 2024.
live with 64.9% less strain on fresh water
Yemen withdraws 170% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iraq withdraws 60% as of 2022.
use 15.3 times more electricity
Yemen uses 90 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iraq uses 1,377 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 20.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Yemen, air pollution causes 109.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iraq, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 19.9 times more CO2
Yemen emits 0.3 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 (2013–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Yemen vs. Iraq
Iraq: At a glance
How big is Iraq compared to Yemen? See an in-depth size comparison.