Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Republic of the Congo instead of Iraq, you would:

Health

be 68.4% less likely to be obese

In Iraq, 30.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 9.6% of people as of 2016.

live 11.1 years less

In Iraq, the average life expectancy is 73 years (71 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2022. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 62 years (61 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 50.8% less money

Iraq has a GDP per capita of $12,600 as of 2023, while in Republic of the Congo, the GDP per capita is $6,200 as of 2023.

be 29.1% more likely to be unemployed

In Iraq, 15.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 20.1% as of 2023.

be 77.8% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Iraq, 23.0% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Republic of the Congo, however, that number is 40.9% as of 2011.

Life

be 60.9% more likely to be literate

In Iraq, the literacy rate is 50.1% as of 2018. In Republic of the Congo, it is 80.6% as of 2021.

have 21.1% more children

In Iraq, there are approximately 23.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, there are 28.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 3.7 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Iraq, approximately 76.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Republic of the Congo, 282.0 women do as of 2020.

be 2.4 times more 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 Republic of the Congo, on the other hand, 47.9 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 49.4% less likely to have access to electricity

In Iraq, approximately 100% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Republic of the Congo, 51% of the population do as of 2022.

be 34.5% less likely to have internet access

In Iraq, approximately 49.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Republic of the Congo, about 32.1% do as of 2021.

be 15.2% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Iraq, approximately 99% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 84% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 11.8% less on healthcare

Iraq spends 5.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 4.5% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 2.9 times more coastline

Iraq has a total of 58 km of coastline. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 169 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Republic of the Congo: At a glance

Republic of the Congo is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 341,500 sq km. Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a democratically elected government took office in 1992. A brief civil war in 1997 restored former Marxist President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso, and ushered in a period of ethnic and political unrest. Southern-based rebel groups agreed to a final peace accord in March 2003, but the calm is tenuous and refugees continue to present a humanitarian crisis. The Republic of Congo is one of Africa's largest petroleum producers, but with declining production it will need new offshore oil finds to sustain its oil earnings over the long term.
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How big is Republic of the Congo compared to Iraq? See an in-depth size comparison.

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