Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Israel fits inside Iraq 20 times
Iraq: 435,050 km² (2024) · Israel: 22,070 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Israel’s coastline is 4.7 times as long as Iraq’s
Iraq: 58 km (2026 edition) · Israel: 273 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Iraq’s highest peak towers 1,375 m above Israel’s
Iraq: 3,611 m (2026 edition) · Israel: 2,236 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 24% of Israel, versus 22% of Iraq
Iraq: 21.6% (2024) · Israel: 23.8% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Iraq has 4.6 times as many people as Israel
Iraq: 47 million (2025) · Israel: 10.1 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Israel is 4.3 times as densely populated as Iraq
Iraq: 108 per km² (2025) · Israel: 468 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Israel are 2.2 cm taller than in Iraq
Iraq: 173.8 cm (2019) · Israel: 176 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Israel are 3.5 cm taller than in Iraq
Iraq: 158.8 cm (2019) · Israel: 162.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Israel is 8.8 years older than in Iraq
Iraq: 20.3 years (2023) · Israel: 29.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Iraq have 0.4 more children on average than in Israel
Iraq: 3.22 children per woman (2024) · Israel: 2.87 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
13% of people in Israel are 65 or older, versus 3.4% in Iraq
Iraq: 3.4% (2025) · Israel: 12.7% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Iraq hosts 54 times as many refugees per resident as Israel
Iraq: 6.9 per 1,000 (2025) · Israel: 0.1 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Israel has produced 5.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Iraq 0.2
Iraq: 0.2 (2026) · Israel: 5.9 (2026)
How many official languages?
Iraq has 3 official languages, Israel 2
Iraq: 3 (2026) · Israel: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Israel’s economy is 2.4 times the size of Iraq’s
Iraq: $254 billion (2025) · Israel: $611 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Israel produces 4.2 times as much per person as Iraq
Iraq: Int$14,267 (2025) · Israel: Int$59,717 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Israel than in Iraq (Gini 8.5 points higher)
Iraq: 29.8 (2023) · Israel: 38.3 (2022)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
Iraq and Israel are practically level
Iraq: 0.5% (2023) · Israel: 0.4% (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 15% in Iraq, versus 3.5% in Israel
Iraq: 15.5% (2025) · Israel: 3.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Israel spends 7.8% of its GDP on the military, Iraq 2.4%
Iraq: 2.4% (2025) · Israel: 7.8% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Israel’s central government collects 23% of GDP in tax, Iraq’s 1.3%
Iraq: 1.3% (2019) · Israel: 23.2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Israel’s price level (US = 100) is 2.7× Iraq’s
Iraq: 38% (2025) · Israel: 101% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Israel spends 12 times as much on health per person as Iraq
Iraq: $333 (2023) · Israel: $3,928 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Israel live 11 years longer than in Iraq
Iraq: 72.4 years (2024) · Israel: 83.2 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Iraq is 7.4 times as likely to die before turning one as in Israel
Iraq: 20.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Israel: 2.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Israel has 3.7 times as many doctors per person as Iraq
Iraq: 1 per 1,000 (2022) · Israel: 3.8 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Israel has 3 times as many hospital beds per person as Iraq
Iraq: 1.1 per 1,000 (2018) · Israel: 3.1 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Israel is 35% higher than in Iraq
Iraq: 5.1 per 100k (2023) · Israel: 6.9 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
37% of adults in Iraq are obese, versus 23% in Israel
Iraq: 36.8% (2024) · Israel: 23.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
21% of adults in Israel smoke, versus 20% in Iraq
Iraq: 20.1% (2024) · Israel: 21.2% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Israel rate their lives 1.98 points higher than in Iraq
Iraq: 5.21 (2025) · Israel: 7.19 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Israel drink 6.9 times as much alcohol as in Iraq
Iraq: 0.6 litres (2023) · Israel: 4.2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Israel has 5.2 times as much meat per person as Iraq
Iraq: 21.1 kg (2023) · Israel: 108.7 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Israel has 1,383 kcal more food per person per day than Iraq
Iraq: 2,371 kcal (2023) · Israel: 3,754 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Israel put in 307 more hours a year than in Iraq
Iraq: 1,583 hours (2023) · Israel: 1,890 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Israel went to school 6.8 years longer than in Iraq
Iraq: 6.8 years (2023) · Israel: 13.5 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Iraq: no data · Israel: 0.1 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
Israel has 3 more World Heritage sites than Iraq (9 against 6)
Iraq: 6 (2026) · Israel: 9 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Israel has won 20 Olympic medals, Iraq 1
Iraq: 1 (2026 edition) · Israel: 20 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
88% of people in Israel are online, versus 81% in Iraq
Iraq: 81% (2024) · Israel: 88% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Israel is 6.3 times as fast as in Iraq
Iraq: 62 Mbps (2026) · Israel: 392 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Iraq and Israel are practically level
Iraq: 100% (2024) · Israel: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Israel live in cities, versus 70% in Iraq
Iraq: 70% (2025) · Israel: 92% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Israel has 177 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Iraq 100
Iraq: 100 (2024) · Israel: 177 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Iraq’s railway network is 38% longer than Israel’s
Iraq: 2,370 km (2014) · Israel: 1,720 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Israel fly 9.1 times as many passengers per resident as those from Iraq
Iraq: 0.08 (2023) · Israel: 0.73 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 6.8% of Israel, but only 1.6% of Iraq
Iraq: 1.6% (2024) · Israel: 6.8% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Israel emits 11% more CO₂ than someone in Iraq
Iraq: 5.1 t (2024) · Israel: 5.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
17% of Israel’s electricity is renewable, versus 1.6% in Iraq
Iraq: 1.6% (2024) · Israel: 16.9% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Iraq carries 2.4 times as much fine dust as in Israel
Iraq: 48.8 µg/m³ (2024) · Israel: 20.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Iraq: no data · Israel: 1.6 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Iraq are 4.6 times as deadly as in Israel
Iraq: 31.5 per 100k (2023) · Israel: 6.8 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Iraq is on average 2.8 °C warmer than Israel
Iraq: 23.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · Israel: 21.1°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Iraq gets 4% more rain than Israel
Iraq: 214 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Israel: 205 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Iraq bigger than Israel?
Iraq is larger. Israel fits inside Iraq 20 times.
Which has more people, Iraq or Israel?
Iraq has 4.6 times as many people as Israel (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Iraq or Israel?
People in Israel live 11 years longer than in Iraq. Life expectancy at birth is 72.4 years in Iraq and 83.2 in Israel.
Are people taller in Iraq or Israel?
Men in Israel are 2.2 cm taller than in Iraq (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
