Life expectancy in Iraq
Iraq: Life expectancy was 72.32 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
72.32 years
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
148th
of 236 countries
All-time high
72.32 years
in 2023
All-time low
37.4 years
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Life expectancy in Iraq, 1950–2023
Source: Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy in Iraq is 72.32 years, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy in Iraq peaked at 72.32 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 37.4 years, in 1950.
Iraq ranks 148th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Life expectancy in Iraq, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 37.4 years | — |
| 1951 | 38.97 years | +4.2% |
| 1952 | 40.52 years | +4.0% |
| 1953 | 42.08 years | +3.8% |
| 1954 | 43.53 years | +3.5% |
| 1955 | 44.98 years | +3.3% |
| 1956 | 46.37 years | +3.1% |
| 1957 | 47.73 years | +2.9% |
| 1958 | 48.98 years | +2.6% |
| 1959 | 49.72 years | +1.5% |
| 1960 | 51.46 years | +3.5% |
| 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 | 61 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 | 64.4 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% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's 72.32 years is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 74.42 years, 97% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Iraq's 72.32 years is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 76.51 years, 95% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 44.03 years | 37.4 years | 49.72 years | 10 |
| 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 | 71.18 years | 69.65 years | 72.32 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
- 145 Guatemala 72.6 years compare
- 146 Venezuela 72.51 years compare
- 147 Uzbekistan 72.39 years compare
- 149 Saint Kitts and Nevis 72.14 years compare
- 150 Syria 72.12 years compare
- 151 El Salvador 72.1 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 in Iraq?
- Life expectancy in Iraq was 72.32 years in 2023, according to Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy recorded in Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 72.32 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.4 years in 1950.
- How does Iraq rank for life expectancy?
- Iraq ranks 148th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iraq data come from?
- The figures come from Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Period life expectancy is the number of years the average person born in a certain year would live if they experienced the same chances of dying at each age as people did that year.