Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Iran fits inside China 5.5 times
China: 9,562,910 km² (2024) · Iran: 1,745,150 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
China’s coastline is 5.9 times as long as Iran’s
China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · Iran: 2,440 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 3,224 m above Iran’s
China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · Iran: 5,625 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 42% of China, versus 29% of Iran
China: 41.7% (2024) · Iran: 29% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 15 times as many people as Iran
China: 1.41 billion (2025) · Iran: 92.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
China is 2.6 times as densely populated as Iran
China: 150 per km² (2025) · Iran: 57 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
China and Iran are practically level
China: 175.7 cm (2019) · Iran: 175.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in China are 2.3 cm taller than in Iran
China: 163.5 cm (2019) · Iran: 161.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in China is 6.2 years older than in Iran
China: 39.1 years (2023) · Iran: 32.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Iran have 0.7 more children on average than in China
China: 1.01 children per woman (2024) · Iran: 1.68 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
15% of people in China are 65 or older, versus 8.6% in Iran
China: 14.9% (2025) · Iran: 8.6% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Iran hosts 50,987 times as many refugees per resident as China
China: 0.00016 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, China 0.1
China: 0.1 (2026) · Iran: 0.3 (2026)
How many official languages?
China and Iran are practically level
China: 1 (2026) · Iran: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 54 times the size of Iran’s
China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · Iran: $363 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
China produces 49% more per person than Iran
China: Int$29,333 (2025) · Iran: Int$19,699 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
China and Iran are practically level
China: 36 (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% in China
China: 0% (2022) · Iran: 2.5% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 8.3% in Iran, versus 4.6% in China
China: 4.6% (2025) · Iran: 8.3% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Iran and China are practically level
China: 1.7% (2025) · Iran: 2.1% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
China: 7% (2024) · Iran: no data
How expensive is it?
China’s price level (US = 100) is 2.4× Iran’s
China: 47% (2025) · Iran: 20% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
China spends 2.9 times as much on health per person as Iran
China: $763 (2023) · Iran: $267 (2023)
How long do people live?
China and Iran are practically level
China: 78 years (2024) · Iran: 77.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Iran is 2.5 times as likely to die before turning one as in China
China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Iran: 10.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
China has 72% more doctors per person than Iran
China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Iran: 1.8 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
China has 3 times as many hospital beds per person as Iran
China: 5.6 per 1,000 (2023) · Iran: 1.9 per 1,000 (2019)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in China is 33% higher than in Iran
China: 8 per 100k (2023) · Iran: 6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Iran are obese, versus 9.1% in China
China: 9.1% (2024) · Iran: 25.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
23% of adults in China smoke, versus 12% in Iran
China: 22.8% (2024) · Iran: 11.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in China rate their lives 0.92 points higher than in Iran
China: 6.07 (2025) · Iran: 5.15 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in China drink 178 times as much alcohol as in Iran
China: 3.7 litres (2023) · Iran: 0.021 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
China has 2.5 times as much meat per person as Iran
China: 73.5 kg (2023) · Iran: 29.9 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
China has 652 kcal more food per person per day than Iran
China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · Iran: 2,875 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in China put in 82 more hours a year than in Iran
China: 2,328 hours (2023) · Iran: 2,246 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Iran went to school 2.8 years longer than in China
China: 8 years (2023) · Iran: 10.8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
China: 0.05 (2019) · Iran: no data
How many World Heritage sites?
China has 31 more World Heritage sites than Iran (61 against 30)
China: 61 (2026) · Iran: 30 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
China has won 819 Olympic medals, Iran 88
China: 819 (2026 edition) · Iran: 88 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
92% of people in China are online, versus 85% in Iran
China: 92% (2025) · Iran: 85% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
China: 364 Mbps (2026) · Iran: no data
Who has electricity at home?
China and Iran are practically level
China: 100% (2024) · Iran: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
77% of people in Iran live in cities, versus 66% in China
China: 66% (2025) · Iran: 77% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Iran has 174 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, China 132
China: 132 (2024) · Iran: 174 (2024)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 12 times as long as Iran’s
China: 109,767 km (2021) · Iran: 9,455 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from China fly 2.3 times as many passengers per resident as those from Iran
China: 0.44 (2023) · Iran: 0.2 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 24% of China, but only 6.6% of Iran
China: 24% (2024) · Iran: 6.6% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
China and Iran are nearly identical here
China: 8.7 t (2024) · Iran: 8.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
37% of China’s electricity is renewable, versus 3.8% in Iran
China: 37% (2025) · Iran: 3.8% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Iran carries 20% more fine dust than in China
China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Iran: 37.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 4.7 times as likely to be murdered in Iran as in China
China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · Iran: 2.4 per 100k (2014)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Iran are 17% deadlier than in China
China: 24.7 per 100k (2023) · Iran: 28.9 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Iran is on average 11.5 °C warmer than China
China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Iran: 19.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
China gets 3 times as much rain as Iran
China: 813 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 China bigger than Iran?
China is larger. Iran fits inside China 5.5 times.
Which has more people, China or Iran?
China has 15 times as many people as Iran (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, China or Iran?
China and Iran are practically level. Life expectancy at birth is 78.0 years in China and 77.9 in Iran.
Are people taller in China or Iran?
China and Iran are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
