Life expectancy at birth in Iraq
Iraq: Life expectancy at birth was 72.32 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Life expectancy at birth in Iraq, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
Iraq recorded 72.32 years for life expectancy at birth in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth in Iraq peaked at 72.32 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 37.4 years, in 1950.
That places Iraq 148th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
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
- 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)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 2 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 2 deaths (2026)
- Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 419,499 (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 404,017 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 426,321 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 409,679 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 432,275 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 414,521 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth in Iraq?
- Life expectancy at birth in Iraq was 72.32 years in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth recorded in Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 72.32 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.4 years in 1950.
- How does Iraq rank for life expectancy at birth?
- Iraq ranks 148th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth 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 UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy at birth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Period life expectancy at birth.