Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Iran fits inside Canada 9 times
Canada: 15,634,400 km² (2024) · Iran: 1,745,150 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Canada’s coastline is 83 times as long as Iran’s
Canada: 202,080 km (2026 edition) · Iran: 2,440 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Canada’s highest peak towers 334 m above Iran’s
Canada: 5,959 m (2026 edition) · Iran: 5,625 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 29% of Iran, versus 6.5% of Canada
Canada: 6.5% (2024) · Iran: 29% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Iran has 2.2 times as many people as Canada
Canada: 41.7 million (2025) · Iran: 92.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Iran is 12 times as densely populated as Canada
Canada: 5 per km² (2025) · Iran: 57 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Canada are 3.1 cm taller than in Iran
Canada: 178.8 cm (2019) · Iran: 175.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Canada are 3.5 cm taller than in Iran
Canada: 164.7 cm (2019) · Iran: 161.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Canada is 7.5 years older than in Iran
Canada: 40.3 years (2023) · Iran: 32.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Iran have 0.4 more children on average than in Canada
Canada: 1.25 children per woman (2024) · Iran: 1.68 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
20% of people in Canada are 65 or older, versus 8.6% in Iran
Canada: 20.3% (2025) · Iran: 8.6% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Canada hosts 20% more refugees per resident than Iran
Canada: 10 per 1,000 (2025) · Iran: 8.3 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Canada has produced 5.5 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Iran 0.3
Canada: 5.5 (2026) · Iran: 0.3 (2026)
How many official languages?
Canada has 2 official languages, Iran 1
Canada: 2 (2026) · Iran: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Canada’s economy is 6.4 times the size of Iran’s
Canada: $2.32 trillion (2025) · Iran: $363 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Canada produces 3.4 times as much per person as Iran
Canada: Int$66,746 (2025) · Iran: Int$19,699 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Iran than in Canada (Gini 4.4 points higher)
Canada: 31.5 (2022) · 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 0.3% in Canada
Canada: 0.3% (2022) · Iran: 2.5% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 8.3% in Iran, versus 6.9% in Canada
Canada: 6.9% (2025) · Iran: 8.3% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Iran and Canada are practically level
Canada: 1.6% (2025) · Iran: 2.1% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Canada: 13.7% (2024) · Iran: no data
How expensive is it?
Canada’s price level (US = 100) is 4.2× Iran’s
Canada: 83% (2025) · Iran: 20% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Canada spends 24 times as much on health per person as Iran
Canada: $6,378 (2024) · Iran: $267 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Canada live 4.3 years longer than in Iran
Canada: 82.1 years (2024) · Iran: 77.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Iran is 2.2 times as likely to die before turning one as in Canada
Canada: 4.7 per 1,000 (2024) · Iran: 10.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Canada has 56% more doctors per person than Iran
Canada: 2.8 per 1,000 (2023) · Iran: 1.8 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Canada has 37% more hospital beds per person than Iran
Canada: 2.5 per 1,000 (2022) · Iran: 1.9 per 1,000 (2019)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Canada is 40% higher than in Iran
Canada: 8.4 per 100k (2023) · Iran: 6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
27% of adults in Canada are obese, versus 26% in Iran
Canada: 27.1% (2024) · Iran: 25.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
12% of adults in Iran smoke, versus 11% in Canada
Canada: 11.2% (2024) · Iran: 11.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Canada rate their lives 1.59 points higher than in Iran
Canada: 6.74 (2025) · Iran: 5.15 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Canada drink 447 times as much alcohol as in Iran
Canada: 9.2 litres (2023) · Iran: 0.021 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Canada has 3.2 times as much meat per person as Iran
Canada: 94.8 kg (2023) · Iran: 29.9 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Canada has 715 kcal more food per person per day than Iran
Canada: 3,590 kcal (2023) · Iran: 2,875 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Iran put in 515 more hours a year than in Canada
Canada: 1,731 hours (2023) · Iran: 2,246 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Canada went to school 3 years longer than in Iran
Canada: 13.9 years (2023) · Iran: 10.8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Canada: 0.48 (2024) · Iran: no data
How many World Heritage sites?
Iran has 8 more World Heritage sites than Canada (30 against 22)
Canada: 22 (2026) · Iran: 30 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Canada has won 597 Olympic medals, Iran 88
Canada: 597 (2026 edition) · Iran: 88 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Canada are online, versus 85% in Iran
Canada: 94% (2024) · Iran: 85% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Canada: 357 Mbps (2026) · Iran: no data
Who has electricity at home?
Canada and Iran are practically level
Canada: 100% (2024) · Iran: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
83% of people in Canada live in cities, versus 77% in Iran
Canada: 83% (2025) · Iran: 77% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Iran has 174 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Canada 94
Canada: 94 (2024) · Iran: 174 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Canada’s railway network is 5.1 times as long as Iran’s
Canada: 48,150 km (2021) · Iran: 9,455 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Canada fly 11 times as many passengers per resident as those from Iran
Canada: 2.13 (2023) · Iran: 0.2 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 42% of Canada, but only 6.6% of Iran
Canada: 42% (2024) · Iran: 6.6% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Canada emits 55% more CO₂ than someone in Iran
Canada: 13.4 t (2024) · Iran: 8.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
64% of Canada’s electricity is renewable, versus 3.8% in Iran
Canada: 63.9% (2025) · Iran: 3.8% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Iran carries 5.4 times as much fine dust as in Canada
Canada: 7 µg/m³ (2024) · Iran: 37.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 20% more likely to be murdered in Iran than in Canada
Canada: 2 per 100k (2023) · Iran: 2.4 per 100k (2014)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Iran are 3.8 times as deadly as in Canada
Canada: 7.6 per 100k (2023) · Iran: 28.9 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Iran is on average 22.3 °C warmer than Canada
Canada: -3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Iran: 19.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Canada gets 2.5 times as much rain as Iran
Canada: 683 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 Canada bigger than Iran?
Canada is larger. Iran fits inside Canada 9 times.
Which has more people, Canada or Iran?
Iran has 2.2 times as many people as Canada (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Canada or Iran?
People in Canada live 4.3 years longer than in Iran. Life expectancy at birth is 82.1 years in Canada and 77.9 in Iran.
Are people taller in Canada or Iran?
Men in Canada are 3.1 cm taller than in Iran (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
