Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Syria fits inside Iraq 2.3 times.
Iraq: 435,050 km² (2023) · Syria: 185,180 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Syria’s coastline is 3.3 times as long as Iraq’s.
Iraq: 58 km (2026 edition) · Syria: 193 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Iraq’s highest peak towers 797 m above Syria’s.
Iraq: 3,611 m (2026 edition) · Syria: 2,814 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Iraq has 84% more people than Syria.
Iraq: 47 million (2025) · Syria: 25.6 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Syria is 29% more densely populated than Iraq.
Iraq: 108 per km² (2025) · Syria: 140 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Iraq are 2.2 cm taller than in Syria.
Iraq: 173.8 cm (2019) · Syria: 171.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Syria and Iraq are practically level.
Iraq: 158.8 cm (2019) · Syria: 159.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Syria is 1.9 years older than in Iraq.
Iraq: 20.3 years (2023) · Syria: 22.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Iraq have 0.5 more children on average than in Syria.
Iraq: 3.22 children per woman (2024) · Syria: 2.7 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
4.8% of people in Syria are 65 or older, versus 3.4% in Iraq.
Iraq: 3.4% (2025) · Syria: 4.8% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Iraq has produced 0.2 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Syria 0.0.
Iraq: 0.2 (2025) · Syria: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
Iraq has 3 official languages, Syria 1.
Iraq: 3 (2026) · Syria: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Iraq’s economy is 11 times the size of Syria’s.
Iraq: $254 billion (2025) · Syria: $23.7 billion (2022)
How much is produced per person?
Iraq produces 2.9 times as much per person as Syria.
Iraq: Int$14,267 (2025) · Syria: Int$4,905 (2022)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Iraq than in Syria (Gini 3.4 points higher).
Iraq: 29.8 (2023) · Syria: 26.4 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 15% in Iraq, versus 14% in Syria.
Iraq: 15.5% (2025) · Syria: 13.6% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Iraq: 2.4% (2024) · Syria: no data
How expensive is it?
Iraq’s price level (US = 100) is 1.8× Syria’s.
Iraq: 38% (2025) · Syria: 22% (2022)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Iraq spends 10 times as much on health per person as Syria.
Iraq: $333 (2023) · Syria: $33 (2023)
How long do people live?
Syria and Iraq are practically level.
Iraq: 72.4 years (2024) · Syria: 72.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Iraq is 14% more likely to die before turning one than in Syria.
Iraq: 20.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Syria: 17.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Syria has 49% more doctors per person than Iraq.
Iraq: 1 per 1,000 (2022) · Syria: 1.5 per 1,000 (2021)
How common is obesity?
37% of adults in Iraq are obese, versus 30% in Syria.
Iraq: 36.8% (2024) · Syria: 29.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
Iraq: 20.1% (2024) · Syria: no data
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Iraq rate their lives 1.75 points higher than in Syria.
Iraq: 5.21 (2025) · Syria: 3.46 (2018)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Iraq drink 5.6 times as much alcohol as in Syria.
Iraq: 0.6 litres (2023) · Syria: 0.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Iraq has 30% more meat per person than Syria.
Iraq: 21.1 kg (2023) · Syria: 16.2 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Iraq has 111 kcal more food per person per day than Syria.
Iraq: 2,371 kcal (2023) · Syria: 2,259 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Syria put in 37 more hours a year than in Iraq.
Iraq: 1,583 hours (2023) · Syria: 1,621 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Iraq went to school 0.84 years longer than in Syria.
Iraq: 6.8 years (2023) · Syria: 5.9 years (2023)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
81% of people in Iraq are online, versus 34% in Syria.
Iraq: 81% (2024) · Syria: 34% (2018)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Iraq have electricity, versus 89% in Syria.
Iraq: 100% (2024) · Syria: 89.3% (2024)
How many live in cities?
72% of people in Syria live in cities, versus 70% in Iraq.
Iraq: 70% (2025) · Syria: 72% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Iraq has 100 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Syria 71.
Iraq: 100 (2024) · Syria: 71 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Iraq’s railway network is 11% longer than Syria’s.
Iraq: 2,370 km (2014) · Syria: 2,139 km (2010)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Iraq fly 3.4 times as many passengers per resident as those from Syria.
Iraq: 0.08 (2023) · Syria: 0.02 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 2.8% of Syria, but only 1.9% of Iraq.
Iraq: 1.9% (2023) · Syria: 2.8% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Iraq emits 3.9 times as much CO₂ as someone in Syria.
Iraq: 5.1 t (2024) · Syria: 1.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
3.5% of Syria’s electricity is renewable, versus 1.6% in Iraq.
Iraq: 1.6% (2024) · Syria: 3.5% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Iraq carries 58% more fine dust than in Syria.
Iraq: 48.8 µg/m³ (2024) · Syria: 30.8 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Syria are 39% deadlier than in Iraq.
Iraq: 21.5 per 100k (2021) · Syria: 29.9 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Iraq is on average 3.8 °C warmer than Syria.
Iraq: 23.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · Syria: 20.1°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Syria and Iraq are nearly identical here.
Iraq: 214 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Syria: 216 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Iraq bigger than Syria?
Iraq is larger. Syria fits inside Iraq 2.3 times.
Which has more people, Iraq or Syria?
Iraq has 84% more people than Syria (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Iraq or Syria?
Syria and Iraq are practically level. Life expectancy at birth is 72.4 years in Iraq and 72.6 in Syria.
Are people taller in Iraq or Syria?
Men in Iraq are 2.2 cm taller than in Syria (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
