Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Belgium fits inside Iran 57 times
Belgium: 30,689 km² (2024) · Iran: 1,745,150 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Iran’s coastline is 37 times as long as Belgium’s
Belgium: 67 km (2026 edition) · Iran: 2,440 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Iran’s highest peak towers 4,931 m above Belgium’s
Belgium: 694 m (2026 edition) · Iran: 5,625 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 44% of Belgium, versus 29% of Iran
Belgium: 44.4% (2024) · Iran: 29% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Iran has 7.7 times as many people as Belgium
Belgium: 11.9 million (2025) · Iran: 92.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Belgium is 6.9 times as densely populated as Iran
Belgium: 392 per km² (2025) · Iran: 57 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Belgium are 3.5 cm taller than in Iran
Belgium: 179.1 cm (2019) · Iran: 175.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Belgium are 2.2 cm taller than in Iran
Belgium: 163.4 cm (2019) · Iran: 161.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Belgium is 8.6 years older than in Iran
Belgium: 41.4 years (2023) · Iran: 32.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Iran have 0.2 more children on average than in Belgium
Belgium: 1.44 children per woman (2024) · Iran: 1.68 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in Belgium are 65 or older, versus 8.6% in Iran
Belgium: 21% (2025) · Iran: 8.6% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Belgium hosts 87% more refugees per resident than Iran
Belgium: 15.6 per 1,000 (2025) · Iran: 8.3 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Belgium has produced 8.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Iran 0.3
Belgium: 8.4 (2026) · Iran: 0.3 (2026)
How many official languages?
Belgium has 3 official languages, Iran 1
Belgium: 3 (2026) · Iran: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Belgium’s economy is 2 times the size of Iran’s
Belgium: $725 billion (2025) · Iran: $363 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Belgium produces 3.8 times as much per person as Iran
Belgium: Int$74,676 (2025) · Iran: Int$19,699 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Iran than in Belgium (Gini 9.1 points higher)
Belgium: 26.8 (2023) · 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 0.1% in Belgium
Belgium: 0.1% (2023) · Iran: 2.5% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 8.3% in Iran, versus 5.9% in Belgium
Belgium: 5.9% (2025) · Iran: 8.3% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Iran and Belgium are practically level
Belgium: 2% (2025) · Iran: 2.1% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Belgium: 23% (2024) · Iran: no data
How expensive is it?
Belgium’s price level (US = 100) is 4.1× Iran’s
Belgium: 81% (2025) · Iran: 20% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Belgium spends 22 times as much on health per person as Iran
Belgium: $5,931 (2023) · Iran: $267 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Belgium live 4.4 years longer than in Iran
Belgium: 82.3 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 Belgium
Belgium: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Iran: 10.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Belgium has 2 times as many doctors per person as Iran
Belgium: 3.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Iran: 1.8 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Belgium has 2.9 times as many hospital beds per person as Iran
Belgium: 5.4 per 1,000 (2023) · Iran: 1.9 per 1,000 (2019)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Belgium is 2.5 times that in Iran
Belgium: 15.1 per 100k (2023) · Iran: 6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Iran are obese, versus 23% in Belgium
Belgium: 22.9% (2024) · Iran: 25.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in Belgium smoke, versus 12% in Iran
Belgium: 23.5% (2024) · Iran: 11.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Belgium rate their lives 1.78 points higher than in Iran
Belgium: 6.93 (2025) · Iran: 5.15 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Belgium drink 461 times as much alcohol as in Iran
Belgium: 9.5 litres (2023) · Iran: 0.021 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Belgium has 2 times as much meat per person as Iran
Belgium: 60 kg (2023) · Iran: 29.9 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Belgium has 1,046 kcal more food per person per day than Iran
Belgium: 3,921 kcal (2023) · Iran: 2,875 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Iran put in 653 more hours a year than in Belgium
Belgium: 1,593 hours (2023) · Iran: 2,246 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Belgium went to school 1.8 years longer than in Iran
Belgium: 12.7 years (2023) · Iran: 10.8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Belgium: 0.81 (2024) · Iran: no data
How many World Heritage sites?
Iran has 14 more World Heritage sites than Belgium (30 against 16)
Belgium: 16 (2026) · Iran: 30 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Belgium has won 177 Olympic medals, Iran 88
Belgium: 177 (2026 edition) · Iran: 88 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Belgium are online, versus 85% in Iran
Belgium: 96% (2024) · Iran: 85% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Belgium: 254 Mbps (2026) · Iran: no data
Who has electricity at home?
Belgium and Iran are practically level
Belgium: 100% (2024) · Iran: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
88% of people in Belgium live in cities, versus 77% in Iran
Belgium: 88% (2025) · Iran: 77% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Iran has 174 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Belgium 104
Belgium: 104 (2024) · Iran: 174 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Iran’s railway network is 2.6 times as long as Belgium’s
Belgium: 3,612 km (2021) · Iran: 9,455 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Belgium fly 4.9 times as many passengers per resident as those from Iran
Belgium: 0.95 (2023) · Iran: 0.2 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 22% of Belgium, but only 6.6% of Iran
Belgium: 22% (2024) · Iran: 6.6% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Iran emits 19% more CO₂ than someone in Belgium
Belgium: 7.3 t (2024) · Iran: 8.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
39% of Belgium’s electricity is renewable, versus 3.8% in Iran
Belgium: 38.9% (2025) · Iran: 3.8% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Iran carries 4.1 times as much fine dust as in Belgium
Belgium: 9.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Iran: 37.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2.2 times as likely to be murdered in Iran as in Belgium
Belgium: 1.1 per 100k (2021) · Iran: 2.4 per 100k (2014)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Iran are 4.3 times as deadly as in Belgium
Belgium: 6.8 per 100k (2023) · Iran: 28.9 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Iran is on average 8.2 °C warmer than Belgium
Belgium: 11°C (2016–2025 avg) · Iran: 19.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Belgium gets 3.4 times as much rain as Iran
Belgium: 928 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 Belgium bigger than Iran?
Iran is larger. Belgium fits inside Iran 57 times.
Which has more people, Belgium or Iran?
Iran has 7.7 times as many people as Belgium (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Belgium or Iran?
People in Belgium live 4.4 years longer than in Iran. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Belgium and 77.9 in Iran.
Are people taller in Belgium or Iran?
Men in Belgium are 3.5 cm taller than in Iran (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
