Iraq vs Syria
Iraq vs Syria: Girls in primary school
Girls in primary school: 86.9% in Iraq in 2007 and 67% in Syria in 2013, by Our World in Data estimates. In 1996 the value was higher in Syria, by 21.2 percentage points, or 1.3 times that in Iraq.
% of girls of primary-school age · Our World in Data
What the numbers say
- Syria has been higher since 1985, when it overtook Iraq.
- The world as a whole: 77.9% in 1996.
Every year
% of girls of primary-school age · Our World in Data
| Year | Iraq | Syria | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | – | – | 88.2 |
| 2017 | – | – | 88.2 |
| 2016 | – | – | 88.3 |
| 2015 | – | – | 88.2 |
| 2014 | – | – | 88.3 |
| 2013 | – | 67 | 88.2 |
| 2012 | – | – | 88.2 |
| 2011 | – | – | 88.1 |
| 2010 | – | – | 87.9 |
| 2009 | – | – | 87.9 |
| 2008 | – | – | 87.6 |
| 2007 | 86.9 | – | 87.2 |
| 2006 | – | – | 86 |
| 2005 | – | – | 85.4 |
| 2004 | 86.8 | – | 84.7 |
| 2003 | – | – | 83.5 |
| 2002 | – | – | 81.4 |
| 2001 | – | – | 81 |
| 2000 | 82.4 | – | 80.7 |
| 1999 | 83.4 | – | 79.9 |
| 1998 | – | 90.9 | 78.9 |
| 1997 | – | 92 | 78.1 |
| 1996 | 71.4 | 92.6 | 77.9 |
| 1995 | – | – | 78 |
| 1994 | – | – | 78.3 |
| 1993 | 74.2 | – | 78 |
| 1992 | – | – | 77.7 |
| 1991 | – | – | 77.8 |
| 1990 | – | 90.6 | 77.3 |
| 1989 | 83.7 | 91 | 77.6 |
| 1988 | 86.3 | 90.4 | 76.6 |
| 1987 | 84.3 | 90.3 | 75.8 |
| 1986 | 82.8 | 86.3 | 75.3 |
| 1985 | 82.1 | 83.9 | 74 |
| 1980 | 95 | 81 | 75.8 |
| 1975 | 55 | 72 | 72.9 |
| 1970 | 34 | 54 | 69 |
| 1965 | 36 | 46 | 66 |
| 1960 | 28 | 34.5 | 63.1 |
| 1955 | 15.5 | 33.4 | 57.4 |
| 1950 | 10 | 32.2 | 51.4 |
| 1945 | 6.1 | 25.6 | 43.5 |
| 1940 | 5.2 | 20 | 40 |
| 1935 | 4.7 | 15.4 | 38.2 |
| 1930 | 2.3 | 11.7 | 36.4 |
| 1925 | 1.3 | 8.7 | 33 |
| 1920 | 0.2 | 6.5 | 30.5 |
| 1915 | 0.1 | 4.8 | 29.2 |
| 1910 | 0.1 | 3.6 | 28.1 |
| 1905 | 0.1 | 2.6 | 25.1 |
| 1900 | 0 | 1.9 | 23.3 |
| 1895 | 0 | 1.4 | 21.8 |
| 1890 | 0 | 1 | 20 |
| 1885 | 0 | 0.7 | 19 |
| 1880 | 0 | 0.5 | 17.2 |
| 1875 | 0 | 0.4 | 15.7 |
| 1870 | 0 | 0.3 | 13.2 |
| 1865 | 0 | 0.2 | 10.6 |
| 1860 | 0 | 0.2 | 9.3 |
| 1855 | 0 | 0.1 | 8 |
| 1850 | 0 | 0.1 | 6.8 |
| 1845 | 0 | 0.1 | 5.9 |
| 1840 | 0 | 0 | 5.2 |
| 1835 | 0 | 0 | 4.5 |
| 1830 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1825 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 |
| 1820 | 0 | 0 | 3.1 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of girls of primary-school age who are enrolled in school.
- Source: Our World in Data, joining historical estimates to the World Bank’s.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Iraq vs Syria
Health
- Life expectancyIraq: 72.3 years in 2023Syria: 72.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIraq: 2.2 per 100 live births in 2024Syria: 1.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIraq: 19 per 1,000 live births in 2023Syria: 16.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIraq: 3.89% in 2017Syria: 3.58% in 2017
- Suicide rateIraq: 4.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Syria: 3.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIraq: 45.1 million people in 2023Syria: 23.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthIraq: 2.15% a year in 2023Syria: 4.92% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIraq: 3.25 births per woman in 2023Syria: 2.71 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIraq: 69.9% in 2025Syria: 72.1% in 2025
- Median ageIraq: 20.4 years in 2023Syria: 22.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIraq: 3.4% in 2023Syria: 4.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateIraq: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Syria: 32.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIraq: 2.45% of GDP in 2025Syria: 4.06% of GDP in 2010
- Military spending per personIraq: $139 in 2025Syria: $110 in 2011
- Military share of state spendingIraq: 5.5% of government spending in 2025Syria: 13.6% of government spending in 2010
- Armed forces personnelIraq: 459,000 people in 2020Syria: 269,000 people in 2020
- National powerIraq: 0.54% of world capability in 2022Syria: 0.29% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIraq: 4.4% of the labour force in 2020Syria: 5.44% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIraq: 55 million TIV in 2025Syria: 2 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIraq: 20 million TIV in 1989Syria: 30 million TIV in 2010