Iran vs Iraq
Iran vs Iraq: GDP growth
GDP growth in 2025: -0.9% a year in Iran and -0.4% a year in Iraq, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Iraq, by 0.5 percentage points.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Iraq has been higher since 2025, when it overtook Iran.
- In 2025, Iran ranked 141 and Iraq ranked 138 of 143 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Iran at 2% a year and Iraq at 3.5% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Iran | Iraq |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | -0.9 | -0.4 |
| 2024 | 3.7 | 0.2 |
| 2023 | 5.3 | 0.8 |
| 2022 | 4.4 | 7.7 |
| 2021 | 4.1 | 1.4 |
| 2020 | 4.4 | -12.4 |
| 2019 | -2.4 | 5.6 |
| 2018 | -3.7 | 2.6 |
| 2017 | 3 | -1.5 |
| 2016 | 6.5 | 16.2 |
| 2015 | -1.4 | 2.5 |
| 2014 | 5 | 0.7 |
| 2013 | -1.5 | 7.6 |
| 2012 | -3.7 | 13.9 |
| 2011 | 5.7 | 7.5 |
| 2010 | 5.8 | 6.4 |
| 2009 | 1 | 3.4 |
| 2008 | 0.3 | 8.2 |
| 2007 | 8.2 | 1.9 |
| 2006 | 5 | 5.6 |
| 2005 | 3.2 | 1.7 |
| 2004 | 4.3 | 53.4 |
| 2003 | 8.6 | -36.7 |
| 2002 | 8.1 | -8.2 |
| 2001 | 2.4 | 1.8 |
| 2000 | 5.8 | – |
| 1999 | 2 | – |
| 1998 | 2.1 | – |
| 1997 | 1.4 | – |
| 1996 | 6.4 | – |
| 1995 | 2.4 | – |
| 1994 | -1.7 | – |
| 1993 | -1.5 | – |
| 1992 | 3.3 | – |
| 1991 | 12.7 | – |
| 1990 | 13.6 | – |
| 1989 | 6.1 | – |
| 1988 | -6.1 | – |
| 1987 | -0.2 | – |
| 1986 | -9.8 | – |
| 1985 | 1.9 | – |
| 1984 | -7.1 | – |
| 1983 | 11.1 | – |
| 1982 | 23.2 | – |
| 1981 | -5.7 | – |
| 1980 | -21.6 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Iran | Iraq |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | -7.6 | -16 |
| 2027 | 3.6 | 19 |
| 2028 | 1.5 | 6.6 |
| 2029 | 1.8 | 3.4 |
| 2030 | 2 | 3.4 |
| 2031 | 2 | 3.5 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 143 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Iran vs Iraq
Health
- Life expectancyIran: 77.7 years in 2023Iraq: 72.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIran: 1.1 per 100 live births in 2024Iraq: 2.2 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIran: 9.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Iraq: 19 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterIran: 94.2% in 2022Iraq: 59.7% in 2022
- DepressionIran: 5.12% in 2017Iraq: 3.89% in 2017
- Suicide rateIran: 5.4 per 100,000 people in 2017Iraq: 4.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIran: 90.6 million people in 2023Iraq: 45.1 million people in 2023
- Population growthIran: 1.12% a year in 2023Iraq: 2.15% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIran: 1.7 births per woman in 2023Iraq: 3.25 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIran: 77.4% in 2025Iraq: 69.9% in 2025
- Median ageIran: 32.9 years in 2023Iraq: 20.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIran: 7.9% in 2023Iraq: 3.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateIran: 2.9 per 1,000 people in 2023Iraq: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIran: 2.09% of GDP in 2025Iraq: 2.45% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIran: $7.45B in 2025Iraq: $6.4B in 2025
- Military spending per personIran: $80 in 2025Iraq: $139 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIran: 11.2% of government spending in 2025Iraq: 5.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIran: 650,000 people in 2020Iraq: 459,000 people in 2020
- National powerIran: 1.64% of world capability in 2022Iraq: 0.54% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIran: 2.35% of the labour force in 2020Iraq: 4.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIran: 42 million TIV in 2024Iraq: 55 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIran: 80 million TIV in 2025Iraq: 20 million TIV in 1989