Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Finland fits inside Iran 5.2 times
Finland: 338,485 km² (2024) · Iran: 1,745,150 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Iran’s coastline is 2 times as long as Finland’s
Finland: 1,250 km (2026 edition) · Iran: 2,440 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Iran’s highest peak towers 4,297 m above Finland’s
Finland: 1,328 m (2026 edition) · Iran: 5,625 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 29% of Iran, versus 7.4% of Finland
Finland: 7.4% (2024) · Iran: 29% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Iran has 16 times as many people as Finland
Finland: 5.65 million (2025) · Iran: 92.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Iran is 3.1 times as densely populated as Finland
Finland: 19 per km² (2025) · Iran: 57 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Finland are 4.9 cm taller than in Iran
Finland: 180.6 cm (2019) · Iran: 175.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Finland are 5.3 cm taller than in Iran
Finland: 166.5 cm (2019) · Iran: 161.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Finland is 9.9 years older than in Iran
Finland: 42.8 years (2023) · Iran: 32.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Iran have 0.4 more children on average than in Finland
Finland: 1.25 children per woman (2024) · Iran: 1.68 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Finland are 65 or older, versus 8.6% in Iran
Finland: 24.2% (2025) · Iran: 8.6% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Finland hosts 2.2 times as many refugees per resident as Iran
Finland: 18.2 per 1,000 (2025) · Iran: 8.3 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Finland has produced 8.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Iran 0.3
Finland: 8.9 (2026) · Iran: 0.3 (2026)
How many official languages?
Finland has 2 official languages, Iran 1
Finland: 2 (2026) · Iran: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Iran’s economy is 14% larger than Finland’s
Finland: $317 billion (2025) · Iran: $363 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Finland produces 3.3 times as much per person as Iran
Finland: Int$65,885 (2025) · Iran: Int$19,699 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Iran than in Finland (Gini 8.5 points higher)
Finland: 27.4 (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 0.2% in Finland
Finland: 0.2% (2023) · Iran: 2.5% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 9.5% in Finland, versus 8.3% in Iran
Finland: 9.5% (2025) · Iran: 8.3% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Finland and Iran are practically level
Finland: 2.6% (2025) · Iran: 2.1% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Finland: 25.3% (2024) · Iran: no data
How expensive is it?
Finland’s price level (US = 100) is 4.3× Iran’s
Finland: 85% (2025) · Iran: 20% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Finland spends 21 times as much on health per person as Iran
Finland: $5,515 (2023) · Iran: $267 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Finland live 4.5 years longer than in Iran
Finland: 82.3 years (2024) · Iran: 77.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Iran is 5.4 times as likely to die before turning one as in Finland
Finland: 1.9 per 1,000 (2024) · Iran: 10.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Finland has 2 times as many doctors per person as Iran
Finland: 3.6 per 1,000 (2021) · Iran: 1.8 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Finland has 41% more hospital beds per person than Iran
Finland: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Iran: 1.9 per 1,000 (2019)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Finland is 2.2 times that in Iran
Finland: 13.1 per 100k (2023) · Iran: 6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Finland are obese, versus 26% in Iran
Finland: 26.2% (2024) · Iran: 25.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
21% of adults in Finland smoke, versus 12% in Iran
Finland: 21.4% (2024) · Iran: 11.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Finland rate their lives 2.61 points higher than in Iran
Finland: 7.76 (2025) · Iran: 5.15 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Finland drink 454 times as much alcohol as in Iran
Finland: 9.4 litres (2023) · Iran: 0.021 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Finland has 2.3 times as much meat per person as Iran
Finland: 69.4 kg (2023) · Iran: 29.9 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Finland has 470 kcal more food per person per day than Iran
Finland: 3,346 kcal (2023) · Iran: 2,875 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Iran put in 749 more hours a year than in Finland
Finland: 1,497 hours (2023) · Iran: 2,246 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Finland went to school 2.1 years longer than in Iran
Finland: 13 years (2023) · Iran: 10.8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Finland: 0.8 (2024) · Iran: no data
How many World Heritage sites?
Iran has 22 more World Heritage sites than Finland (30 against 8)
Finland: 8 (2026) · Iran: 30 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Finland has won 486 Olympic medals, Iran 88
Finland: 486 (2026 edition) · Iran: 88 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Finland are online, versus 85% in Iran
Finland: 94% (2024) · Iran: 85% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Finland: 247 Mbps (2026) · Iran: no data
Who has electricity at home?
Finland and Iran are practically level
Finland: 100% (2024) · Iran: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
77% of people in Iran live in cities, versus 75% in Finland
Finland: 75% (2025) · Iran: 77% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Iran has 174 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Finland 126
Finland: 126 (2024) · Iran: 174 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Iran’s railway network is 60% longer than Finland’s
Finland: 5,918 km (2021) · Iran: 9,455 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Finland fly 9.8 times as many passengers per resident as those from Iran
Finland: 1.91 (2023) · Iran: 0.2 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 74% of Finland, but only 6.6% of Iran
Finland: 74.2% (2024) · Iran: 6.6% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Iran emits 63% more CO₂ than someone in Finland
Finland: 5.3 t (2024) · Iran: 8.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
56% of Finland’s electricity is renewable, versus 3.8% in Iran
Finland: 56.5% (2025) · Iran: 3.8% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Iran carries 7 times as much fine dust as in Finland
Finland: 5.4 µg/m³ (2024) · Iran: 37.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2.4 times as likely to be murdered in Iran as in Finland
Finland: 1 per 100k (2023) · Iran: 2.4 per 100k (2014)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Iran are 5.5 times as deadly as in Finland
Finland: 5.3 per 100k (2023) · Iran: 28.9 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Iran is on average 15.7 °C warmer than Finland
Finland: 3.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · Iran: 19.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Finland gets 2.8 times as much rain as Iran
Finland: 758 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 Finland bigger than Iran?
Iran is larger. Finland fits inside Iran 5.2 times.
Which has more people, Finland or Iran?
Iran has 16 times as many people as Finland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Finland or Iran?
People in Finland live 4.5 years longer than in Iran. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Finland and 77.9 in Iran.
Are people taller in Finland or Iran?
Men in Finland are 4.9 cm taller than in Iran (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
