Iraq vs Saudi Arabia
Iraq vs Saudi Arabia: Learning-adjusted schooling
Learning-adjusted schooling in 2020: 4 years in Iraq and 7.9 years in Saudi Arabia, by World Bank estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Saudi Arabia, by 3.9 years, or 1.96 times that in Iraq.
years · World Bank
What the numbers say
- Saudi Arabia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2017.
- In 2020, Iraq ranked 167 and Saudi Arabia ranked 87 of 174 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
years · World Bank
| Year | Iraq | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 4 | 7.9 |
| 2018 | 4 | 8 |
| 2017 | 4 | 8.1 |
| 2010 | – | 7.4 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The years of school a child can expect by 18, cut to what students actually learn: the World Bank’s learning-adjusted years of school.
- Source: World Bank Human Capital Index, via Our World in Data.
- Ranks count the 174 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Iraq vs Saudi Arabia
Health
- Life expectancyIraq: 72.3 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 78.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIraq: 2.2 per 100 live births in 2024Saudi Arabia: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIraq: 19 per 1,000 live births in 2023Saudi Arabia: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIraq: 3.89% in 2017Saudi Arabia: 3.54% in 2017
- Suicide rateIraq: 4.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Saudi Arabia: 2.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIraq: 45.1 million people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 33.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthIraq: 2.15% a year in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.39% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIraq: 3.25 births per woman in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.28 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIraq: 69.9% in 2025Saudi Arabia: 84.6% in 2025
- Median ageIraq: 20.4 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 29.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIraq: 3.4% in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.8% in 2023
- Net migration rateIraq: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 9.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIraq: 2.45% of GDP in 2025Saudi Arabia: 6.48% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIraq: $6.4B in 2025Saudi Arabia: $81.5B in 2025
- Military spending per personIraq: $139 in 2025Saudi Arabia: $2,428 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIraq: 5.5% of government spending in 2025Saudi Arabia: 23.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIraq: 459,000 people in 2020Saudi Arabia: 282,000 people in 2020
- National powerIraq: 0.54% of world capability in 2022Saudi Arabia: 1.34% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIraq: 4.4% of the labour force in 2020Saudi Arabia: 1.92% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIraq: 55 million TIV in 2025Saudi Arabia: 3.04 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIraq: 20 million TIV in 1989Saudi Arabia: 3 million TIV in 2023