Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iraq instead of Laos, you would:
Health
live 5.0 years longer
In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Iraq, that number is 73 years (71 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2022.
be 5.7 times more likely to be obese
In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Iraq, that number is 30.4% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 16.5% more money
Laos has a GDP per capita of $7,900 as of 2022, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $9,200 as of 2022.
pay a 37.5% lower top tax rate
Laos has a top tax rate of 24.0% as of 2016. In Iraq, the top tax rate is 15.0% as of 2016.
be 4.0 times more likely to be unemployed
In Laos, 3.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Iraq, that number is 15.3% as of 2022.
be 25.7% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Laos, 18.3% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Iraq, however, that number is 23.0% as of 2014.
Life
be 39.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Laos, approximately 126.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Iraq, 76.0 women do as of 2020.
be 48.1% less likely to die during infancy
In Laos, approximately 37.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Iraq, on the other hand, 19.6 children do as of 2022.
have 19.7% more children
In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iraq, there are 23.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 42.5% less likely to be literate
In Laos, the literacy rate is 87.1% as of 2021. In Iraq, it is 50.1% as of 2018.
Basic Needs
be 11.8% more likely to have access to improved drinking water
In Laos, approximately 89% of people have improved drinking water access (97% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Iraq, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2020.
be 21.0% less likely to have internet access
In Laos, approximately 62.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Iraq, about 49.0% do as of 2021.
Expenditures
spend 2.0 times more on education
Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Iraq spends 4.7% of total GDP on education as of 2016.
spend 88.9% more on healthcare
Laos spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Iraq, that number is 5.1% of GDP as of 2020.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance.
Iraq: At a glance
How big is Iraq compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.