Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 1.1 years less

In Syria, the average life expectancy is 74 years (73 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Iraq, that number is 73 years (71 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 4.3 times more money

Syria has a GDP per capita of $2,900 as of 2021, while in Iraq, the GDP per capita is $12,600 as of 2023.

be 72.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Syria, 82.5% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Iraq, however, that number is 23.0% as of 2014.

pay a 31.8% lower top tax rate

Syria has a top tax rate of 22.0% as of 2016. In Iraq, the top tax rate is 15.0% as of 2016.

be 14.7% more likely to be unemployed

In Syria, 13.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Iraq, that number is 15.5% as of 2023.

Life

be 2.5 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Syria, approximately 30.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Iraq, 76.0 women do as of 2020.

be 42.0% less likely to be literate

In Syria, the literacy rate is 86.4% as of 2015. In Iraq, it is 50.1% as of 2018.

be 23.6% more likely to die during infancy

In Syria, approximately 15.9 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.

Basic Needs

be 12.4% more likely to have access to electricity

In Syria, approximately 89% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Iraq, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

Geography

see 69.9% less coastline

Syria has a total of 193 km of coastline. In Iraq, that number is 58 km.

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

Iraq: At a glance

Iraq is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 437,367 sq km. Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by Britain during the course of World War I; in 1920, it was declared a League of Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over the next dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. A "republic" was proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series of strongmen ruled the country until 2003. The last was SADDAM Husayn. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and costly eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait but was expelled by US-led, UN coalition forces during the Gulf War of January-February 1991. Following Kuwait's liberation, the UN Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions over a period of 12 years led to the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. US forces remained in Iraq under a UNSC mandate through 2009 and under a bilateral security agreement thereafter, helping to provide security and to train and mentor Iraqi security forces. In October 2005, Iraqis approved a constitution in a national referendum and, pursuant to this document, elected a 275-member Council of Representatives (COR) in December 2005. The COR approved most cabinet ministers in May 2006, marking the transition to Iraq's first constitutional government in nearly a half century. In January 2009 and April 2013, Iraq held elections for provincial councils in all governorates except for the three governorates comprising the Kurdistan Regional Government and Kirkuk Governorate. Iraq held a national legislative election in March 2010 - choosing 325 legislators in an expanded COR - and, after nine months of deadlock the COR approved the new government in December 2010. Nearly nine years after the start of the Second Gulf War in Iraq, US military operations there ended in mid-December 2011.
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How big is Iraq compared to Syria? See an in-depth size comparison.

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