Iraq vs Iran — Country Comparison

Side-by-side comparison of Iraq and Iran across population, economy, quality of life, and more. Data updated 2026.

How do Iraq and Iran compare? Iraq, located in Middle East, has a population of 42.9M and covers an area of 438,317 km². Its GDP (PPP) stands at $585.9B with a GDP per capita of $12,700. Iran, in Middle East, has a population of 89.2M across 1.6M km², with a GDP of $1.5T and GDP per capita of $16,200. In terms of quality of life, Iraq has a life expectancy of 73.7 years compared to Iran's 75.6 years.

Demographics

IndicatorIraqIran
Population42,917,74289,177,357
Birth Rate23.311.2
Death Rate3.94.4
Life Expectancy73.775.6
Literacy Rate84.1%86.0%

Economy

IndicatorIraqIran
GDP (PPP)$585.89B$1.49T
GDP per Capita$12,700$16,200
Unemployment15.6%9.2%
Inflation4.4%32.5%
Public Debt (% GDP)27.439.5

Geography

IndicatorIraqIran
Area (km²)438,3171,648,195
Coastline (km)582,440
Highest Elevation (m)3,6115,625

Military & Security

IndicatorIraqIran
Military Spending (% GDP)2.50%2.00%
Military Personnel200,00090,000

Infrastructure

IndicatorIraqIran
Internet Users82.0%80.0%
Electricity Consumption73,521,000,000335,175,000,000
Oil Production (bbl/day)4,448,0004,112,000
Iraq
Iran