Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (Life World Population) in Iraq
Iraq: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (Life World Population) was 72.42 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
72.42 years
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
133rd
of 218 countries
All-time high
72.42 years
in 2024
All-time low
51.46 years
in 1960
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Life expectancy at birth, total in Iraq, 1960–2024
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy at birth, total in Iraq is 72.42 years, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in Iraq peaked at 72.42 years in 2024 and was at its lowest, 51.46 years, in 1960.
Iraq ranks 133rd of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (Life World Population) in Iraq, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 51.46 years | — |
| 1961 | 52.34 years | +1.7% |
| 1962 | 53.48 years | +2.2% |
| 1963 | 54.36 years | +1.6% |
| 1964 | 55.24 years | +1.6% |
| 1965 | 56.39 years | +2.1% |
| 1966 | 57.32 years | +1.7% |
| 1967 | 58.42 years | +1.9% |
| 1968 | 58.97 years | +0.9% |
| 1969 | 59.64 years | +1.1% |
| 1970 | 60.53 years | +1.5% |
| 1971 | 61.33 years | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 61.82 years | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 62.34 years | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 60.99 years | -2.2% |
| 1975 | 61.43 years | +0.7% |
| 1976 | 63.57 years | +3.5% |
| 1977 | 63.9 years | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 64.17 years | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 64.42 years | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 60.92 years | -5.4% |
| 1981 | 58.65 years | -3.7% |
| 1982 | 58.98 years | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 59.29 years | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 59.54 years | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 59.8 years | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 60.03 years | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 60.26 years | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 56.69 years | -5.9% |
| 1989 | 57.5 years | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 57.59 years | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 61.34 years | +6.5% |
| 1992 | 65.34 years | +6.5% |
| 1993 | 65.31 years | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 65.03 years | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 64.76 years | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 64.62 years | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 64.24 years | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 64.41 years | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 64.53 years | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 64.86 years | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 65.29 years | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 65.72 years | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 64.83 years | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 64.63 years | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 64.9 years | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 64.03 years | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 64.43 years | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 66.47 years | +3.2% |
| 2009 | 67.83 years | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 68.09 years | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 68.44 years | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 68.83 years | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 69.05 years | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 69.68 years | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 69.98 years | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 68.68 years | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 69.79 years | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 71.12 years | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 71.25 years | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 69.65 years | -2.2% |
| 2021 | 70.7 years | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 72.04 years | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 72.32 years | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 72.42 years | +0.1% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's 72.42 years is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 74.53 years, 97% of the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Iraq's 72.42 years is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 76.71 years, 94% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 55.76 years | 51.46 years | 59.64 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 62.45 years | 60.53 years | 64.42 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 59.17 years | 56.69 years | 60.92 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 63.72 years | 57.59 years | 65.34 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 65.3 years | 64.03 years | 67.83 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.49 years | 68.09 years | 71.25 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.43 years | 69.65 years | 72.42 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
- 130 Venezuela 72.67 years compare
- 131 Syria 72.56 years compare
- 132 Uzbekistan 72.53 years compare
- 134 Kyrgyzstan 72.4 years compare
- 135 Mongolia 72.4 years compare
- 136 El Salvador 72.3 years compare
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)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.988 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0587 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.9818 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, total in Iraq?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in Iraq was 72.42 years in 2024, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 72.42 years in 2024.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.46 years in 1960.
- How does Iraq rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- Iraq ranks 133rd out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iraq data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.