Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Iran fits inside Australia 4.4 times
Australia: 7,741,220 km² (2024) · Iran: 1,745,150 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Australia’s coastline is 11 times as long as Iran’s
Australia: 25,760 km (2026 edition) · Iran: 2,440 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Iran’s highest peak towers 3,397 m above Australia’s
Australia: 2,228 m (2026 edition) · Iran: 5,625 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 47% of Australia, versus 29% of Iran
Australia: 47.3% (2024) · Iran: 29% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Iran has 3.3 times as many people as Australia
Australia: 27.6 million (2025) · Iran: 92.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Iran is 16 times as densely populated as Australia
Australia: 4 per km² (2025) · Iran: 57 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Australia are 3.2 cm taller than in Iran
Australia: 178.8 cm (2019) · Iran: 175.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Australia are 3.5 cm taller than in Iran
Australia: 164.7 cm (2019) · Iran: 161.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Australia is 4.9 years older than in Iran
Australia: 37.8 years (2023) · Iran: 32.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Iran have 0.2 more children on average than in Australia
Australia: 1.48 children per woman (2024) · Iran: 1.68 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
18% of people in Australia are 65 or older, versus 8.6% in Iran
Australia: 18.1% (2025) · Iran: 8.6% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Iran hosts 6.9 times as many refugees per resident as Australia
Australia: 1.2 per 1,000 (2025) · Iran: 8.3 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Australia has produced 3.6 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Iran 0.3
Australia: 3.6 (2026) · Iran: 0.3 (2026)
How many official languages?
Australia and Iran are practically level
Australia: 1 (2026) · Iran: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Australia’s economy is 5 times the size of Iran’s
Australia: $1.8 trillion (2025) · Iran: $363 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Australia produces 3.7 times as much per person as Iran
Australia: Int$71,934 (2025) · Iran: Int$19,699 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Iran than in Australia (Gini 2.1 points higher)
Australia: 33.8 (2020) · Iran: 35.9 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
2.5% of people in Iran live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.9% in Australia
Australia: 0.9% (2020) · Iran: 2.5% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 8.3% in Iran, versus 4.1% in Australia
Australia: 4.1% (2025) · Iran: 8.3% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Iran and Australia are practically level
Australia: 1.9% (2025) · Iran: 2.1% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Australia: 23.6% (2022) · Iran: no data
How expensive is it?
Australia’s price level (US = 100) is 4.5× Iran’s
Australia: 91% (2025) · Iran: 20% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Australia spends 26 times as much on health per person as Iran
Australia: $6,980 (2023) · Iran: $267 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Australia live 5.2 years longer than in Iran
Australia: 83.1 years (2024) · Iran: 77.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Iran is 3.3 times as likely to die before turning one as in Australia
Australia: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Iran: 10.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Australia has 2.3 times as many doctors per person as Iran
Australia: 4.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Iran: 1.8 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Australia has 2.1 times as many hospital beds per person as Iran
Australia: 3.8 per 1,000 (2016) · Iran: 1.9 per 1,000 (2019)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Australia is 2.1 times that in Iran
Australia: 12.6 per 100k (2023) · Iran: 6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
32% of adults in Australia are obese, versus 26% in Iran
Australia: 32.4% (2024) · Iran: 25.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
Iran and Australia are practically level
Australia: 11.6% (2024) · Iran: 11.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Australia rate their lives 1.77 points higher than in Iran
Australia: 6.92 (2025) · Iran: 5.15 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Australia drink 508 times as much alcohol as in Iran
Australia: 10.5 litres (2023) · Iran: 0.021 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Australia has 3.9 times as much meat per person as Iran
Australia: 116.8 kg (2023) · Iran: 29.9 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Australia has 687 kcal more food per person per day than Iran
Australia: 3,562 kcal (2023) · Iran: 2,875 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Iran put in 635 more hours a year than in Australia
Australia: 1,611 hours (2023) · Iran: 2,246 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Australia went to school 2 years longer than in Iran
Australia: 12.9 years (2023) · Iran: 10.8 years (2023)
How many World Heritage sites?
Iran has 9 more World Heritage sites than Australia (30 against 21)
Australia: 21 (2026) · Iran: 30 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Australia has won 619 Olympic medals, Iran 88
Australia: 619 (2026 edition) · Iran: 88 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Australia are online, versus 85% in Iran
Australia: 96% (2024) · Iran: 85% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Australia: 261 Mbps (2026) · Iran: no data
Who has electricity at home?
Australia and Iran are practically level
Australia: 100% (2024) · Iran: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
88% of people in Australia live in cities, versus 77% in Iran
Australia: 88% (2025) · Iran: 77% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Iran has 174 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Australia 113
Australia: 113 (2024) · Iran: 174 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Australia’s railway network is 3.4 times as long as Iran’s
Australia: 32,606 km (2022) · Iran: 9,455 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Australia fly 13 times as many passengers per resident as those from Iran
Australia: 2.5 (2023) · Iran: 0.2 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 17% of Australia, but only 6.6% of Iran
Australia: 17.4% (2024) · Iran: 6.6% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Australia emits 67% more CO₂ than someone in Iran
Australia: 14.5 t (2024) · Iran: 8.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
39% of Australia’s electricity is renewable, versus 3.8% in Iran
Australia: 38.6% (2025) · Iran: 3.8% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Iran carries 7 times as much fine dust as in Australia
Australia: 5.4 µg/m³ (2024) · Iran: 37.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2.8 times as likely to be murdered in Iran as in Australia
Australia: 0.9 per 100k (2023) · Iran: 2.4 per 100k (2014)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Iran are 3.9 times as deadly as in Australia
Australia: 7.5 per 100k (2023) · Iran: 28.9 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Australia is on average 3.2 °C warmer than Iran
Australia: 22.5°C (2016–2025 avg) · Iran: 19.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Australia gets 65% more rain than Iran
Australia: 447 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 Australia bigger than Iran?
Australia is larger. Iran fits inside Australia 4.4 times.
Which has more people, Australia or Iran?
Iran has 3.3 times as many people as Australia (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Australia or Iran?
People in Australia live 5.2 years longer than in Iran. Life expectancy at birth is 83.1 years in Australia and 77.9 in Iran.
Are people taller in Australia or Iran?
Men in Australia are 3.2 cm taller than in Iran (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
