CountryDuel

Land

Size, shape and altitude

How big is it, really?

South Korea fits inside Iraq 4.3 times.

Iraq: 435,050 km² (2023) · South Korea: 100,450 km² (2023)

Drag it across the map

How much coast is there?

South Korea’s coastline is 42 times as long as Iraq’s.

Iraq: 58 km (2026 edition) · South Korea: 2,413 km (2026 edition)

How high can you climb?

Iraq’s highest peak towers 1,661 m above South Korea’s.

Iraq: 3,611 m (2026 edition) · South Korea: 1,950 m (2026 edition)

How far apart are they?

People

Who lives there, and how closely

How many people live there?

South Korea has 10% more people than Iraq.

Iraq: 47 million (2025) · South Korea: 51.7 million (2025)

How crowded is it?

South Korea is 4.9 times as densely populated as Iraq.

Iraq: 108 per km² (2025) · South Korea: 530 per km² (2025)

How tall are the men?

Men in South Korea are 1.7 cm taller than in Iraq.

Iraq: 173.8 cm (2019) · South Korea: 175.5 cm (2019)

How tall are the women?

Women in South Korea are 4.5 cm taller than in Iraq.

Iraq: 158.8 cm (2019) · South Korea: 163.2 cm (2019)

How old is the typical person?

The typical person in South Korea is 24 years older than in Iraq.

Iraq: 20.3 years (2023) · South Korea: 44.5 years (2023)

How many children per woman?

Women in Iraq have 2.5 more children on average than in South Korea.

Iraq: 3.22 children per woman (2024) · South Korea: 0.75 children per woman (2024)

How many people are 65 or older?

20% of people in South Korea are 65 or older, versus 3.4% in Iraq.

Iraq: 3.4% (2025) · South Korea: 20.3% (2025)

How many Nobel laureates were born there?

South Korea has produced 0.6 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Iraq 0.2.

Iraq: 0.2 (2025) · South Korea: 0.6 (2025)

How many official languages?

Iraq has 3 official languages, South Korea 1.

Iraq: 3 (2026) · South Korea: 1 (2026)

What shape is the population?

Money

What an economy looks like per person

How big is the economy?

South Korea’s economy is 7.4 times the size of Iraq’s.

Iraq: $254 billion (2025) · South Korea: $1.87 trillion (2025)

How much is produced per person?

South Korea produces 4.4 times as much per person as Iraq.

Iraq: Int$14,267 (2025) · South Korea: Int$63,125 (2025)

How evenly is income shared?

Income is more unequally shared in South Korea than in Iraq (Gini 3.1 points higher).

Iraq: 29.8 (2023) · South Korea: 32.9 (2021)

How many people are looking for work?

Unemployment is 15% in Iraq, versus 2.7% in South Korea.

Iraq: 15.5% (2025) · South Korea: 2.7% (2025)

How much goes to the military?

South Korea and Iraq are practically level.

Iraq: 2.4% (2024) · South Korea: 2.6% (2024)

How expensive is it?

South Korea’s price level (US = 100) is 1.5× Iraq’s.

Iraq: 38% (2025) · South Korea: 57% (2025)

Health

Long lives, small beginnings

How much is spent on health?

South Korea spends 9.4 times as much on health per person as Iraq.

Iraq: $333 (2023) · South Korea: $3,137 (2024)

How long do people live?

People in South Korea live 11 years longer than in Iraq.

Iraq: 72.4 years (2024) · South Korea: 83.6 years (2024)

How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?

A baby in Iraq is 8.7 times as likely to die before turning one as in South Korea.

Iraq: 20.1 per 1,000 (2024) · South Korea: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024)

How many doctors are there?

South Korea has 2.6 times as many doctors per person as Iraq.

Iraq: 1 per 1,000 (2022) · South Korea: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)

How common is obesity?

37% of adults in Iraq are obese, versus 7.5% in South Korea.

Iraq: 36.8% (2024) · South Korea: 7.5% (2024)

How many adults smoke?

20% of adults in Iraq smoke, versus 19% in South Korea.

Iraq: 20.1% (2024) · South Korea: 18.6% (2024)

Everyday life

Plates, glasses and happiness

How do people rate their lives?

People in South Korea rate their lives 0.83 points higher than in Iraq.

Iraq: 5.21 (2025) · South Korea: 6.04 (2025)

How much do people drink?

Adults in South Korea drink 14 times as much alcohol as in Iraq.

Iraq: 0.6 litres (2023) · South Korea: 8.3 litres (2023)

How much meat is on the menu?

South Korea has 4 times as much meat per person as Iraq.

Iraq: 21.1 kg (2023) · South Korea: 84 kg (2023)

How much food is there per day?

South Korea has 1,060 kcal more food per person per day than Iraq.

Iraq: 2,371 kcal (2023) · South Korea: 3,430 kcal (2023)

How long do people work?

Workers in South Korea put in 327 more hours a year than in Iraq.

Iraq: 1,583 hours (2023) · South Korea: 1,910 hours (2023)

How long do people go to school?

Adults in South Korea went to school 5.9 years longer than in Iraq.

Iraq: 6.8 years (2023) · South Korea: 12.7 years (2023)

How many tourists visit?

Iraq: no data · South Korea: 0.32 (2024)

Connected

Online, electrified, urban

How many people are online?

98% of people in South Korea are online, versus 81% in Iraq.

Iraq: 81% (2024) · South Korea: 98% (2024)

Who has electricity at home?

Iraq and South Korea are practically level.

Iraq: 100% (2024) · South Korea: 100% (2024)

How many live in cities?

81% of people in South Korea live in cities, versus 70% in Iraq.

Iraq: 70% (2025) · South Korea: 81% (2025)

How many phones per person?

South Korea has 173 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Iraq 100.

Iraq: 100 (2024) · South Korea: 173 (2024)

How much railway is there?

South Korea’s railway network is 82% longer than Iraq’s.

Iraq: 2,370 km (2014) · South Korea: 4,309 km (2021)

How much do they fly?

Airlines from South Korea fly 18 times as many passengers per resident as those from Iraq.

Iraq: 0.08 (2023) · South Korea: 1.48 (2023)

Planet

Air, forests and energy

How much of the land is forest?

Forest covers 64% of South Korea, but only 1.9% of Iraq.

Iraq: 1.9% (2023) · South Korea: 64.1% (2023)

How much CO₂ does each person emit?

The average person in South Korea emits 2.2 times as much CO₂ as someone in Iraq.

Iraq: 5.1 t (2024) · South Korea: 11.3 t (2024)

How green is the power grid?

10% of South Korea’s electricity is renewable, versus 1.6% in Iraq.

Iraq: 1.6% (2024) · South Korea: 10.4% (2025)

How clean is the air?

The air in Iraq carries 2.3 times as much fine dust as in South Korea.

Iraq: 48.8 µg/m³ (2024) · South Korea: 21 µg/m³ (2024)

Where does the power come from?

Safety

Measured risk, not vibes

How common is murder?

Iraq: no data · South Korea: 0.5 per 100k (2023)

How dangerous are the roads?

Roads in Iraq are 3.1 times as deadly as in South Korea.

Iraq: 21.5 per 100k (2021) · South Korea: 6.9 per 100k (2021)

Climate

What the year feels like

How warm is it?

Iraq is on average 10.7 °C warmer than South Korea.

Iraq: 23.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 13.2°C (2016–2025 avg)

How much rain falls?

South Korea gets 5.9 times as much rain as Iraq.

Iraq: 214 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 1,265 mm (2016–2025 avg)

What does the year feel like?
Time machine

Quick answers

Is Iraq bigger than South Korea?

Iraq is larger. South Korea fits inside Iraq 4.3 times.

Which has more people, Iraq or South Korea?

South Korea has 10% more people than Iraq (2025 estimates).

Where do people live longer, Iraq or South Korea?

People in South Korea live 11 years longer than in Iraq. Life expectancy at birth is 72.4 years in Iraq and 83.6 in South Korea.

Are people taller in Iraq or South Korea?

Men in South Korea are 1.7 cm taller than in Iraq (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).

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