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Iraq

Cradle of civilisation - Babylon, Mesopotamia and Kurdistan's mountains

49/100
FutureLife Score
#147
FutureLife Index 2026
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$650
Comfortable/mo
3.8/10
Safety
4.5/10
Healthcare
#120
Happiness rank

Key Scores

49/100
Higher = better
Future Life Score
3.8/10
Safety Index
4.5/10
Healthcare
#120
Lower = happier
Happiness Rank

Why people move to Iraq

+Babylon - ancient wonder of the world
+Kurdish Region (Erbil, Sulaymaniyah) - safe and growing
+Marshes of the Mesopotamian delta (UNESCO)
+Some of the world's oldest cities - Ur, Nineveh
+Incredible oil wealth and reconstruction boom
Ancient HistoryReconstructionOil Economy
Culture & context

Cradle of civilisation between Tigris and Euphrates. Recent decades have been turbulent; the cultural depth is millennia old.

People, religion & languages

Population
~44M
71% urban
Languages
Arabic and Kurdish (both official)
Also: English (limited urban), Turkmen, Aramaic (minorities)
Day-to-day English

Low overall; moderate in Erbil and NGO/business circles.

Religion

Shia Muslim majority, with large Sunni and Kurdish-Sunni populations and small Christian/Yazidi minorities.

Shia Muslim
64%
Sunni Muslim
32%
Christian
1%
Other (Yazidi, etc.)
3%
In daily life

Highly visible. Conservative dress and customs widespread.

Culture & etiquette

What locals value and what to watch for

HospitalityTribe/familyTea culturePride in historyHonour
Do
  • Accept tea and food generously
  • Dress conservatively
  • Greet elders first
Avoid
  • Public alcohol
  • Discussing recent conflicts casually
  • PDAs
Pace of life

Slow, family-centric, prayer-paced.

Expat-friendliness

Hospitable in personal settings; security and bureaucracy challenging.

Holidays & food culture

Mesopotamian roots - kebabs, rice, dates, river fish (masgouf).

MasgoufKebabDolmaTashreebDatesTea
Mealtimes

Lunch 13:00–15:00, dinner 20:00–22:00.

Dietary norms

Halal default; alcohol restricted to specific licensed venues.

Major holidays
Variable
Eid al-Fitr
Variable
Eid al-Adha
Variable
Ashura
Major Shia commemoration
July 14
Republic Day

Work culture & business norms

Working weekSunday–Thursday
Hours08:30–15:30 typical.
HierarchyStrongly hierarchical.
PunctualityFlexible.
Meeting styleTea and relationship first.
Business attireSmart conservative; suits common in business.
Monthly cost snapshot
Comfortable lifestyle$700/mo
Semi-Luxury lifestyle$1,400/mo
Luxury lifestyle$2,900/mo

Single person, before income tax

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At $4,000/month remote income you'd have $3,350 surplus after budget-tier costs - saving 84% of your income.
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Quick facts

LanguageArabic / Kurdish
CurrencyIQD
Internet10 Mbps avg
EnglishLow
Future Life Score49/100
Future Life Rank#147
PR pathModerate
CitizenshipNo clear path
Passport rank#80
Visa-free80 countries
Income tax30% top rate
VAT20%
CapitalBaghdad
Best airportsBGW (Baghdad), EBL (Erbil), BSR (Basra)
Coastline58 km Persian Gulf
Population~44M
Avg temp27°C / 81°F

Visa options

Tourist Visa (Kurdistan)Easy
Work VisaHard
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