Life expectancy vs. Electoral Democracy Index in Iraq
Iraq: Life expectancy vs. Electoral Democracy Index was 72.32 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Life expectancy vs. Electoral Democracy Index 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
In 2023, life expectancy vs. electoral democracy index in Iraq stood at 72.32 years. 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 vs. electoral democracy index 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.
Life expectancy vs. Electoral Democracy Index 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 vs. electoral democracy index in Iraq?
- Life expectancy vs. electoral democracy index 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 vs. electoral democracy index recorded in Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 72.32 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy vs. electoral democracy index recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.4 years in 1950.
- How does Iraq rank for life expectancy vs. electoral democracy index?
- Iraq ranks 148th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy vs. electoral democracy index 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 vs. Electoral Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.