Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Lebanon instead of Iraq, you would:

Health

live 5.6 years longer

In Iraq, the average life expectancy is 73 years (71 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2022. In Lebanon, that number is 79 years (77 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 25.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Iraq, 15.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Lebanon, that number is 11.6% as of 2023.

be 19.1% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Iraq, 23.0% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Lebanon, however, that number is 27.4% as of 2011.

pay a 33.3% higher top tax rate

Iraq has a top tax rate of 15.0% as of 2016. In Lebanon, the top tax rate is 20.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 72.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Iraq, approximately 76.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Lebanon, 21.0 women do as of 2020.

be 89.8% more likely to be literate

In Iraq, the literacy rate is 50.1% as of 2018. In Lebanon, it is 95.1% as of 2018.

be 64.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Iraq, approximately 19.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Lebanon, on the other hand, 7.0 children do as of 2022.

have 46.8% fewer children

In Iraq, there are approximately 23.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Lebanon, there are 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 77.6% more likely to have internet access

In Iraq, approximately 49.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Lebanon, about 87.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 63.8% less on education

Iraq spends 4.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2016. Lebanon spends 1.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 56.9% more on healthcare

Iraq spends 5.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Lebanon, that number is 8.0% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 3.9 times more coastline

Iraq has a total of 58 km of coastline. In Lebanon, that number is 225 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Finance, Lebanon.

Lebanon: At a glance

Lebanon is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 10,230 sq km. Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French demarcated the region of Lebanon in 1920 and granted this area independence in 1943. Since independence the country has been marked by periods of political turmoil interspersed with prosperity built on its position as a regional center for finance and trade. The country's 1975-90 civil war that resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities, was followed by years of social and political instability. Sectarianism is a key element of Lebanese political life. Neighboring Syria has long influenced Lebanon's foreign policy and internal policies, and its military occupied Lebanon from 1976 until 2005. The Lebanon-based Hizballah militia and Israel continued attacks and counterattacks against each other after Syria's withdrawal, and fought a brief war in 2006. Lebanon's borders with Syria and Israel remain unresolved.
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How big is Lebanon compared to Iraq? See an in-depth size comparison.

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