Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Iraq is 32% bigger than Malaysia
Iraq: 435,050 km² (2024) · Malaysia: 330,534 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Malaysia’s coastline is 81 times as long as Iraq’s
Iraq: 58 km (2026 edition) · Malaysia: 4,675 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Malaysia’s highest peak towers 484 m above Iraq’s
Iraq: 3,611 m (2026 edition) · Malaysia: 4,095 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 25% of Malaysia, versus 22% of Iraq
Iraq: 21.6% (2024) · Malaysia: 24.8% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Iraq has 31% more people than Malaysia
Iraq: 47 million (2025) · Malaysia: 36 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Malaysia is 1% more densely populated than Iraq
Iraq: 108 per km² (2025) · Malaysia: 110 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Iraq are 4.6 cm taller than in Malaysia
Iraq: 173.8 cm (2019) · Malaysia: 169.2 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Iraq are 1.7 cm taller than in Malaysia
Iraq: 158.8 cm (2019) · Malaysia: 157.1 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Malaysia is 9.7 years older than in Iraq
Iraq: 20.3 years (2023) · Malaysia: 30.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Iraq have 1.7 more children on average than in Malaysia
Iraq: 3.22 children per woman (2024) · Malaysia: 1.54 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
8.0% of people in Malaysia are 65 or older, versus 3.4% in Iraq
Iraq: 3.4% (2025) · Malaysia: 8% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Iraq hosts 64% more refugees per resident than Malaysia
Iraq: 6.9 per 1,000 (2025) · Malaysia: 4.2 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Iraq has produced 0.2 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Malaysia none
Iraq: 0.2 (2026) · Malaysia: 0 (2026)
How many official languages?
Iraq has 3 official languages, Malaysia 2
Iraq: 3 (2026) · Malaysia: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Malaysia’s economy is 86% larger than Iraq’s
Iraq: $254 billion (2025) · Malaysia: $472 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Malaysia produces 2.9 times as much per person as Iraq
Iraq: Int$14,267 (2025) · Malaysia: Int$41,498 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Malaysia than in Iraq (Gini 10.9 points higher)
Iraq: 29.8 (2023) · Malaysia: 40.7 (2021)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
0.5% of people in Iraq live on less than $3 a day, versus 0% in Malaysia
Iraq: 0.5% (2023) · Malaysia: 0% (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 15% in Iraq, versus 3.8% in Malaysia
Iraq: 15.5% (2025) · Malaysia: 3.8% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Iraq spends 2.4% of its GDP on the military, Malaysia 1.0%
Iraq: 2.4% (2025) · Malaysia: 1% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Malaysia’s central government collects 12% of GDP in tax, Iraq’s 1.3%
Iraq: 1.3% (2019) · Malaysia: 12.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Iraq’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Malaysia’s
Iraq: 38% (2025) · Malaysia: 32% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Malaysia spends 35% more on health per person than Iraq
Iraq: $333 (2023) · Malaysia: $450 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Malaysia live 4.4 years longer than in Iraq
Iraq: 72.4 years (2024) · Malaysia: 76.8 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Iraq is 2.9 times as likely to die before turning one as in Malaysia
Iraq: 20.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Malaysia: 7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Malaysia has 2.3 times as many doctors per person as Iraq
Iraq: 1 per 1,000 (2022) · Malaysia: 2.3 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Malaysia has 85% more hospital beds per person than Iraq
Iraq: 1.1 per 1,000 (2018) · Malaysia: 2 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Iraq is 2% higher than in Malaysia
Iraq: 5.1 per 100k (2023) · Malaysia: 5 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
37% of adults in Iraq are obese, versus 24% in Malaysia
Iraq: 36.8% (2024) · Malaysia: 23.6% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
20% of adults in Iraq smoke, versus 17% in Malaysia
Iraq: 20.1% (2024) · Malaysia: 16.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Malaysia rate their lives 0.79 points higher than in Iraq
Iraq: 5.21 (2025) · Malaysia: 6.01 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Malaysia drink 33% more alcohol than in Iraq
Iraq: 0.6 litres (2023) · Malaysia: 0.8 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Malaysia has 3.3 times as much meat per person as Iraq
Iraq: 21.1 kg (2023) · Malaysia: 69.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Malaysia has 556 kcal more food per person per day than Iraq
Iraq: 2,371 kcal (2023) · Malaysia: 2,927 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Malaysia put in 724 more hours a year than in Iraq
Iraq: 1,583 hours (2023) · Malaysia: 2,308 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Malaysia went to school 4.3 years longer than in Iraq
Iraq: 6.8 years (2023) · Malaysia: 11.1 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Iraq: no data · Malaysia: 0.29 (2022)
How many World Heritage sites?
Iraq and Malaysia are practically level
Iraq: 6 (2026) · Malaysia: 6 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Malaysia has won 15 Olympic medals, Iraq 1
Iraq: 1 (2026 edition) · Malaysia: 15 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
98% of people in Malaysia are online, versus 81% in Iraq
Iraq: 81% (2024) · Malaysia: 98% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Malaysia is 4.3 times as fast as in Iraq
Iraq: 62 Mbps (2026) · Malaysia: 269 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Iraq and Malaysia are practically level
Iraq: 100% (2024) · Malaysia: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
77% of people in Malaysia live in cities, versus 70% in Iraq
Iraq: 70% (2025) · Malaysia: 77% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Malaysia has 140 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Iraq 100
Iraq: 100 (2024) · Malaysia: 140 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Iraq’s railway network is 43% longer than Malaysia’s
Iraq: 2,370 km (2014) · Malaysia: 1,655 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Malaysia fly 16 times as many passengers per resident as those from Iraq
Iraq: 0.08 (2023) · Malaysia: 1.3 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 58% of Malaysia, but only 1.6% of Iraq
Iraq: 1.6% (2024) · Malaysia: 57.7% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Malaysia emits 61% more CO₂ than someone in Iraq
Iraq: 5.1 t (2024) · Malaysia: 8.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
21% of Malaysia’s electricity is renewable, versus 1.6% in Iraq
Iraq: 1.6% (2024) · Malaysia: 20.7% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Iraq carries 3.2 times as much fine dust as in Malaysia
Iraq: 48.8 µg/m³ (2024) · Malaysia: 15.3 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Iraq: no data · Malaysia: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Iraq are 94% deadlier than in Malaysia
Iraq: 31.5 per 100k (2023) · Malaysia: 16.2 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Malaysia is on average 2.1 °C warmer than Iraq
Iraq: 23.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · Malaysia: 26°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Malaysia gets 14 times as much rain as Iraq
Iraq: 214 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Malaysia: 3,081 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Iraq bigger than Malaysia?
Iraq is larger. Iraq is 32% bigger than Malaysia.
Which has more people, Iraq or Malaysia?
Iraq has 31% more people than Malaysia (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Iraq or Malaysia?
People in Malaysia live 4.4 years longer than in Iraq. Life expectancy at birth is 72.4 years in Iraq and 76.8 in Malaysia.
Are people taller in Iraq or Malaysia?
Men in Iraq are 4.6 cm taller than in Malaysia (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
