Sex gap in life expectancy in Iraq
Iraq: Sex gap in life expectancy was 3.63 years in 2023. ▼ Falling
Sex gap in life expectancy in Iraq, 1950–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, sex gap in life expectancy in Iraq stood at 3.63 years.
The figure is down 1.6% on the previous year and down 19.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sex gap in life expectancy in Iraq peaked at 15.99 years in 1988 and was at its lowest, 3.57 years, in 2021.
Iraq ranks 200th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Sex gap in life expectancy in Iraq, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 6.77 years | — |
| 1951 | 6.83 years | +0.8% |
| 1952 | 6.83 years | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 6.74 years | -1.4% |
| 1954 | 6.79 years | +0.8% |
| 1955 | 6.8 years | +0.1% |
| 1956 | 6.73 years | -0.9% |
| 1957 | 6.61 years | -1.9% |
| 1958 | 6.58 years | -0.4% |
| 1959 | 7.33 years | +11.5% |
| 1960 | 6.43 years | -12.3% |
| 1961 | 6.91 years | +7.5% |
| 1962 | 6.94 years | +0.4% |
| 1963 | 7.17 years | +3.3% |
| 1964 | 6.86 years | -4.3% |
| 1965 | 7.01 years | +2.1% |
| 1966 | 6.92 years | -1.2% |
| 1967 | 6.36 years | -8.1% |
| 1968 | 6.27 years | -1.4% |
| 1969 | 6.3 years | +0.5% |
| 1970 | 5.68 years | -9.9% |
| 1971 | 5.35 years | -5.8% |
| 1972 | 5.28 years | -1.4% |
| 1973 | 5.36 years | +1.7% |
| 1974 | 7.97 years | +48.6% |
| 1975 | 7.94 years | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 5.49 years | -30.8% |
| 1977 | 5.59 years | +1.7% |
| 1978 | 5.69 years | +1.8% |
| 1979 | 5.81 years | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 11.81 years | +103.2% |
| 1981 | 15.49 years | +31.1% |
| 1982 | 15.4 years | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 15.3 years | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 15.21 years | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 15.09 years | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 14.98 years | -0.8% |
| 1987 | 14.83 years | -1.0% |
| 1988 | 15.99 years | +7.9% |
| 1989 | 11.02 years | -31.1% |
| 1990 | 11.08 years | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 9.64 years | -13.0% |
| 1992 | 7.17 years | -25.6% |
| 1993 | 6.97 years | -2.8% |
| 1994 | 6.73 years | -3.5% |
| 1995 | 6.37 years | -5.3% |
| 1996 | 5.9 years | -7.3% |
| 1997 | 5.53 years | -6.4% |
| 1998 | 5.08 years | -8.1% |
| 1999 | 5.02 years | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 5.06 years | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 5.15 years | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 5.11 years | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 7.18 years | +40.5% |
| 2004 | 8.06 years | +12.3% |
| 2005 | 8.09 years | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 9.87 years | +22.1% |
| 2007 | 9.61 years | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 6.62 years | -31.1% |
| 2009 | 4.57 years | -30.9% |
| 2010 | 4.45 years | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 4.37 years | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 4.33 years | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 4.51 years | +4.1% |
| 2014 | 4.34 years | -3.8% |
| 2015 | 4.27 years | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 6.88 years | +61.2% |
| 2017 | 5.44 years | -21.0% |
| 2018 | 3.61 years | -33.6% |
| 2019 | 3.68 years | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 5.32 years | +44.5% |
| 2021 | 3.57 years | -32.9% |
| 2022 | 3.69 years | +3.3% |
| 2023 | 3.63 years | -1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 6.8 years | 6.58 years | 7.33 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 6.72 years | 6.27 years | 7.17 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.02 years | 5.28 years | 7.97 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 14.51 years | 11.02 years | 15.99 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.95 years | 5.02 years | 11.08 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.93 years | 4.57 years | 9.87 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.59 years | 3.61 years | 6.88 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.05 years | 3.57 years | 5.32 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
More health data for Iraq
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.4 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.9773 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 898.9 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 5,830 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 75-79, female, annual growth rate 4.55 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per capita 0.0037 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, annual growth rate 4.16 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per capita 0.0024 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sex gap in life expectancy in Iraq?
- Sex gap in life expectancy in Iraq was 3.63 years in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest sex gap in life expectancy recorded in Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 15.99 years in 1988.
- What is the lowest sex gap in life expectancy recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.57 years in 2021.
- How does Iraq rank for sex gap in life expectancy?
- Iraq ranks 200th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is sex gap in life expectancy rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iraq data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Sex gap in life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Difference in period life expectancy (females - males) at a given age.