Country page · Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
If you were born in Iraq
1 in 112 babies · 0.90% of births · about 1,202,791 a year
Right now, about 0.90% of the world's babies are born in Iraq — 1 in 112, or roughly 1,202,791 a year and 3,295 a day. Life expectancy there is 72.4 years.
How the 1 in 112 is calculated
This number is not based on population. It uses births: Iraq has about 1,202,791 births a year, and the world has about 134,147,481. Divide one by the other and you get 0.90% — 1 in 112. Using population instead would understate young countries and overstate ageing ones, so every draw is weighted by births.
Life in Iraq, in numbers
| Indicator | Value | World rank |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy women 74.2 · men 70.5 | 72.4 years | 98th highest of 172 countries |
| Chance of dying before 5 21.8 / 1,000 | 2.2% | 105th lowest of 170 countries |
| Chance of dying before 1 20.1 / 1,000 | 2.0% | 106th lowest of 170 countries |
| Mothers who die giving birth per 100,000 births | 66 | 97th lowest of 170 countries |
| Children per woman | 3.22 | 126th lowest of 172 countries |
| Expected years of schooling | 10.2 years | 136th highest of 168 countries |
| Tertiary enrollment | 15.6% | 121st highest of 168 countries |
| Income per person (PPP) GDP per capita, PPP | $14,267 | 99th highest of 170 countries |
| Income inequality closer to 0 = more equal | 29.80 | 130th highest of 157 countries |
| People living in cities | 69.9% | 66th highest of 172 countries |
| People working in farming | 8.2% | 59th lowest of 171 countries |
| People using the internet | 81.5% | 85th highest of 172 countries |
| Homicide per 100,000 people | 9.5 | 128th lowest of 155 countries |
| Health costs paid out of pocket share of health spending | 54.0% | 142nd lowest of 168 countries |
| Adults living with HIV | 0.10% | 104th highest of 142 countries |
| People who smoke | 20.1% | — |
How to read these numbers
Income is shown in purchasing-power-parity dollars, so it compares what money buys locally rather than market exchange rates. The under-5 rate is the share of babies who die before their fifth birthday; the maternal mortality ratio is per 100,000 live births. A Gini index closer to 0 means a more equal income distribution, and a higher number means a more unequal one.
Each indicator uses the most recent year with a non-empty value, which can differ by country; the rank compares this country with the other 171 in the dataset, not with every country on Earth. Where a value is missing, the page shows a dash rather than an estimate.
Iraq compared with Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Life expectancy in Iraq is 72.4 years, against a Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan average of 75.6. The under-5 death rate is 2.2%, versus 2.0% across the region. Income per person is $14,267, against $31,000 regionally; expected schooling is 10.2 years against 12.7. 69.9% of people live in cities, against 74.9% in the region.
| Indicator | Iraq | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 72.4 yrs | 75.6 yrs | 73.3 yrs |
| Under-5 deaths | 2.2% | 2.0% | 2.6% |
| Income per person (PPP) | $14,267 | $31,000 | $30,311 |
| Expected schooling | 10.2 yrs | 12.7 yrs | 13.0 yrs |
| People in cities | 69.9% | 74.9% | 61.6% |
What a life there looks like
Put those numbers together and you get a life: about 72.4 years on average, with roughly 21.8 of every 1,000 babies dying before their fifth birthday. A child can expect 10.2 years of school, and income per person is around $14,267. These are averages — every life still lands somewhere on the distribution.
If you play as someone born in Iraq
The game draws Iraq in about 1 of every 112 births. From there the life runs year by year: 72.4 years of life expectancy on average, a 2.2% chance of dying before five, and an income of about $14,267 per person. Choices move the odds; the starting statistics do not.
Nearby and similar countries
- Chance of being born in Iran — 1 in 115
- Chance of being born in Yemen — 1 in 93
- Chance of being born in Afghanistan — 1 in 87
- All 172 countries
Frequently asked questions
What are the odds of being born in Iraq?
What is life expectancy in Iraq?
How many babies are born in Iraq each year?
Is Iraq a good country to be born in, in the game?
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, with UN World Population Prospects 2024 and UN IGME for births and mortality. Values are the most recent non-empty year for each indicator; the year is noted where it differs. Page updated 24 Oct 2026.