This comparative analysis examines Kurdistan Region’s healthcare metrics alongside global standards established by WHO/OECD and other countries’ systems, providing perspective on the current state of Kurdistan’s healthcare infrastructure within a regional and international context.

Healthcare Resources Gap

The Kurdistan Region maintains only 2.0 hospital beds per 1,000 people, less than half the global standard of 4.4 and far behind Germany’s 8.0 and France’s 5.8. This represents a critical infrastructure shortage that limits healthcare delivery capacity.

Medical Personnel Deficiency

With 1.2 doctors per 1,000 people (versus the 3.5 global standard), Kurdistan falls significantly behind both Western nations and regional neighbors like Saudi Arabia (3.1) and Turkey (2.2). Specialist doctors are even more scarce at 0.5 per 1,000 people, just one-third of the minimum recommended level.

The nursing situation is particularly severe, with 1.4 nurses per 1,000 people compared to the 8.8 global standard. This places Kurdistan’s nursing capacity at just 16% of Germany’s (13.9) and 14% of France’s (9.7).

Dental care accessibility is hampered by having only 0.2 dentists per 1,000 people, one-fourth of the recommended 0.8.

Critical Underfunding

The most striking disparity appears in healthcare financing. Kurdistan allocates just 0.8% of GDP to healthcare—a fraction of the 4-6% global standard and dramatically below Western nations’ expenditures (UK: 10.2%, France: 12.1%, Germany: 12.0%). Even regional countries with economic challenges invest substantially more, with Turkey at 4.3%, Iran at 4.2%, and Saudi Arabia at 5.0%.

This severe underfunding fundamentally restricts healthcare system development and capacity to deliver services according to international standards.