Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Iraq is 31% bigger than Vietnam
Iraq: 435,050 km² (2024) · Vietnam: 331,338 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Vietnam’s coastline is 59 times as long as Iraq’s
Iraq: 58 km (2026 edition) · Vietnam: 3,444 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Iraq’s highest peak towers 467 m above Vietnam’s
Iraq: 3,611 m (2026 edition) · Vietnam: 3,144 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 39% of Vietnam, versus 22% of Iraq
Iraq: 21.6% (2024) · Vietnam: 39.2% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Vietnam has 2.2 times as many people as Iraq
Iraq: 47 million (2025) · Vietnam: 102 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Vietnam is 3 times as densely populated as Iraq
Iraq: 108 per km² (2025) · Vietnam: 324 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Iraq are 4.9 cm taller than in Vietnam
Iraq: 173.8 cm (2019) · Vietnam: 168.9 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Iraq and Vietnam are practically level
Iraq: 158.8 cm (2019) · Vietnam: 158.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Vietnam is 12 years older than in Iraq
Iraq: 20.3 years (2023) · Vietnam: 32.4 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Iraq have 1.3 more children on average than in Vietnam
Iraq: 3.22 children per woman (2024) · Vietnam: 1.9 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
9.5% of people in Vietnam are 65 or older, versus 3.4% in Iraq
Iraq: 3.4% (2025) · Vietnam: 9.5% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Iraq hosts 53,576 times as many refugees per resident as Vietnam
Iraq: 6.9 per 1,000 (2025) · Vietnam: 0.00013 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Iraq has produced 0.2 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Vietnam 0.1
Iraq: 0.2 (2026) · Vietnam: 0.1 (2026)
How many official languages?
Iraq has 3 official languages, Vietnam 1
Iraq: 3 (2026) · Vietnam: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Vietnam’s economy is 2 times the size of Iraq’s
Iraq: $254 billion (2025) · Vietnam: $515 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Vietnam produces 27% more per person than Iraq
Iraq: Int$14,267 (2025) · Vietnam: Int$18,089 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Vietnam than in Iraq (Gini 6.3 points higher)
Iraq: 29.8 (2023) · Vietnam: 36.1 (2022)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
1.6% of people in Vietnam live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.5% in Iraq
Iraq: 0.5% (2023) · Vietnam: 1.6% (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 15% in Iraq, versus 1.5% in Vietnam
Iraq: 15.5% (2025) · Vietnam: 1.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Iraq and Vietnam are practically level
Iraq: 2.4% (2025) · Vietnam: 2.2% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Iraq: 1.3% (2019) · Vietnam: no data
How expensive is it?
Iraq’s price level (US = 100) is 1.4× Vietnam’s
Iraq: 38% (2025) · Vietnam: 28% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Iraq spends 69% more on health per person than Vietnam
Iraq: $333 (2023) · Vietnam: $197 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Vietnam live 2.3 years longer than in Iraq
Iraq: 72.4 years (2024) · Vietnam: 74.7 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Iraq is 68% more likely to die before turning one than in Vietnam
Iraq: 20.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Vietnam: 12 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Vietnam has 8% more doctors per person than Iraq
Iraq: 1 per 1,000 (2022) · Vietnam: 1.1 per 1,000 (2021)
How many hospital beds are there?
Vietnam has 2.4 times as many hospital beds per person as Iraq
Iraq: 1.1 per 1,000 (2018) · Vietnam: 2.5 per 1,000 (2017)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Vietnam is 2 times that in Iraq
Iraq: 5.1 per 100k (2023) · Vietnam: 10 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
37% of adults in Iraq are obese, versus 2.5% in Vietnam
Iraq: 36.8% (2024) · Vietnam: 2.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
21% of adults in Vietnam smoke, versus 20% in Iraq
Iraq: 20.1% (2024) · Vietnam: 21.1% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Vietnam rate their lives 1.22 points higher than in Iraq
Iraq: 5.21 (2025) · Vietnam: 6.43 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Vietnam drink 18 times as much alcohol as in Iraq
Iraq: 0.6 litres (2023) · Vietnam: 10.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Vietnam has 2.9 times as much meat per person as Iraq
Iraq: 21.1 kg (2023) · Vietnam: 60.5 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Vietnam has 715 kcal more food per person per day than Iraq
Iraq: 2,371 kcal (2023) · Vietnam: 3,086 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Vietnam put in 577 more hours a year than in Iraq
Iraq: 1,583 hours (2023) · Vietnam: 2,160 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Vietnam went to school 2.2 years longer than in Iraq
Iraq: 6.8 years (2023) · Vietnam: 9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Iraq: no data · Vietnam: 0.08 (2015)
How many World Heritage sites?
Vietnam has 3 more World Heritage sites than Iraq (9 against 6)
Iraq: 6 (2026) · Vietnam: 9 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Vietnam has won 5 Olympic medals, Iraq 1
Iraq: 1 (2026 edition) · Vietnam: 5 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
84% of people in Vietnam are online, versus 81% in Iraq
Iraq: 81% (2024) · Vietnam: 84% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Vietnam is 3.9 times as fast as in Iraq
Iraq: 62 Mbps (2026) · Vietnam: 244 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Iraq and Vietnam are practically level
Iraq: 100% (2024) · Vietnam: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
70% of people in Iraq live in cities, versus 39% in Vietnam
Iraq: 70% (2025) · Vietnam: 39% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Vietnam has 128 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Iraq 100
Iraq: 100 (2024) · Vietnam: 128 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Vietnam’s railway network is 33% longer than Iraq’s
Iraq: 2,370 km (2014) · Vietnam: 3,159 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Vietnam fly 6.8 times as many passengers per resident as those from Iraq
Iraq: 0.08 (2023) · Vietnam: 0.54 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 47% of Vietnam, but only 1.6% of Iraq
Iraq: 1.6% (2024) · Vietnam: 47.1% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Iraq emits 38% more CO₂ than someone in Vietnam
Iraq: 5.1 t (2024) · Vietnam: 3.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
45% of Vietnam’s electricity is renewable, versus 1.6% in Iraq
Iraq: 1.6% (2024) · Vietnam: 45.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Iraq carries 91% more fine dust than in Vietnam
Iraq: 48.8 µg/m³ (2024) · Vietnam: 25.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Iraq are 71% deadlier than in Vietnam
Iraq: 31.5 per 100k (2023) · Vietnam: 18.4 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Vietnam is on average 0.5 °C warmer than Iraq
Iraq: 23.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · Vietnam: 24.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Vietnam gets 10 times as much rain as Iraq
Iraq: 214 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Vietnam: 2,132 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Iraq bigger than Vietnam?
Iraq is larger. Iraq is 31% bigger than Vietnam.
Which has more people, Iraq or Vietnam?
Vietnam has 2.2 times as many people as Iraq (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Iraq or Vietnam?
People in Vietnam live 2.3 years longer than in Iraq. Life expectancy at birth is 72.4 years in Iraq and 74.7 in Vietnam.
Are people taller in Iraq or Vietnam?
Men in Iraq are 4.9 cm taller than in Vietnam (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
