Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Afghanistan fits inside Iran 2.7 times
Afghanistan: 652,870 km² (2024) · Iran: 1,745,150 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Afghanistan: 0 km (2026 edition) · Iran: 2,440 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Afghanistan’s highest peak towers 1,867 m above Iran’s
Afghanistan: 7,492 m (2026 edition) · Iran: 5,625 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 58% of Afghanistan, versus 29% of Iran
Afghanistan: 58.4% (2024) · Iran: 29% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Iran has 2.1 times as many people as Afghanistan
Afghanistan: 43.8 million (2025) · Iran: 92.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Afghanistan is 18% more densely populated than Iran
Afghanistan: 67 per km² (2025) · Iran: 57 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Iran are 7.1 cm taller than in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: 168.5 cm (2019) · Iran: 175.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Iran are 5.1 cm taller than in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: 156.1 cm (2019) · Iran: 161.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Iran is 16 years older than in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: 16.9 years (2023) · Iran: 32.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Afghanistan have 3.1 more children on average than in Iran
Afghanistan: 4.76 children per woman (2024) · Iran: 1.68 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
8.6% of people in Iran are 65 or older, versus 2.4% in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: 2.4% (2025) · Iran: 8.6% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Iran hosts 18 times as many refugees per resident as Afghanistan
Afghanistan: 0.5 per 1,000 (2025) · Iran: 8.3 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Iran has produced 0.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Afghanistan none
Afghanistan: 0 (2026) · Iran: 0.3 (2026)
How many official languages?
Afghanistan has 3 official languages, Iran 1
Afghanistan: 3 (2026) · Iran: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Iran’s economy is 20 times the size of Afghanistan’s
Afghanistan: $17.8 billion (2024) · Iran: $363 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Iran produces 8.8 times as much per person as Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Int$2,236 (2024) · Iran: Int$19,699 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Afghanistan: no data · Iran: 35.9 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
Afghanistan: no data · Iran: 2.5% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 13% in Afghanistan, versus 8.3% in Iran
Afghanistan: 13.4% (2025) · Iran: 8.3% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Iran and Afghanistan are practically level
Afghanistan: 1.8% (2021) · Iran: 2.1% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Afghanistan: 9.9% (2017) · Iran: no data
How expensive is it?
Iran’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Afghanistan’s
Afghanistan: 19% (2024) · Iran: 20% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Iran spends 4.5 times as much on health per person as Afghanistan
Afghanistan: $59 (2023) · Iran: $267 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Iran live 12 years longer than in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: 66.3 years (2024) · Iran: 77.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Afghanistan is 4.7 times as likely to die before turning one as in Iran
Afghanistan: 48.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Iran: 10.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Iran has 5.7 times as many doctors per person as Afghanistan
Afghanistan: 0.3 per 1,000 (2023) · Iran: 1.8 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Iran has 5.3 times as many hospital beds per person as Afghanistan
Afghanistan: 0.4 per 1,000 (2023) · Iran: 1.9 per 1,000 (2019)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Iran is 20% higher than in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: 5 per 100k (2023) · Iran: 6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Iran are obese, versus 19% in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: 18.8% (2024) · Iran: 25.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
22% of adults in Afghanistan smoke, versus 12% in Iran
Afghanistan: 22.1% (2024) · Iran: 11.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Iran rate their lives 3.71 points higher than in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: 1.45 (2025) · Iran: 5.15 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Afghanistan drink 46% more alcohol than in Iran
Afghanistan: 0.03 litres (2023) · Iran: 0.021 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Iran has 4.7 times as much meat per person as Afghanistan
Afghanistan: 6.4 kg (2023) · Iran: 29.9 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Iran has 561 kcal more food per person per day than Afghanistan
Afghanistan: 2,315 kcal (2023) · Iran: 2,875 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Afghanistan: no data · Iran: 2,246 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Iran went to school 8.3 years longer than in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: 2.5 years (2023) · Iran: 10.8 years (2023)
How many World Heritage sites?
Iran has 28 more World Heritage sites than Afghanistan (30 against 2)
Afghanistan: 2 (2026) · Iran: 30 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Iran has won 88 Olympic medals, Afghanistan 2
Afghanistan: 2 (2026 edition) · Iran: 88 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
85% of people in Iran are online, versus 16% in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: 16% (2024) · Iran: 85% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Afghanistan: 16 Mbps (2026) · Iran: no data
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Iran have electricity, versus 88% in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: 87.8% (2024) · Iran: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
77% of people in Iran live in cities, versus 26% in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: 26% (2025) · Iran: 77% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Iran has 174 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Afghanistan 60
Afghanistan: 60 (2024) · Iran: 174 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Afghanistan: no data · Iran: 9,455 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Iran fly 8.3 times as many passengers per resident as those from Afghanistan
Afghanistan: 0.02 (2023) · Iran: 0.2 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 6.6% of Iran, but only 1.9% of Afghanistan
Afghanistan: 1.9% (2024) · Iran: 6.6% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Iran emits 34 times as much CO₂ as someone in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: 0.3 t (2024) · Iran: 8.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
87% of Afghanistan’s electricity is renewable, versus 3.8% in Iran
Afghanistan: 86.9% (2024) · Iran: 3.8% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Afghanistan carries 6% more fine dust than in Iran
Afghanistan: 40 µg/m³ (2024) · Iran: 37.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 70% more likely to be murdered in Afghanistan than in Iran
Afghanistan: 4 per 100k (2021) · Iran: 2.4 per 100k (2014)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Afghanistan are 23% deadlier than in Iran
Afghanistan: 35.6 per 100k (2023) · Iran: 28.9 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Iran is on average 5.8 °C warmer than Afghanistan
Afghanistan: 13.5°C (2016–2025 avg) · Iran: 19.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Afghanistan gets 19% more rain than Iran
Afghanistan: 324 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Iran: 272 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Afghanistan bigger than Iran?
Iran is larger. Afghanistan fits inside Iran 2.7 times.
Which has more people, Afghanistan or Iran?
Iran has 2.1 times as many people as Afghanistan (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Afghanistan or Iran?
People in Iran live 12 years longer than in Afghanistan. Life expectancy at birth is 66.3 years in Afghanistan and 77.9 in Iran.
Are people taller in Afghanistan or Iran?
Men in Iran are 7.1 cm taller than in Afghanistan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
