Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
France fits inside Iran 2.9 times
France: 606,410 km² (2024) · Iran: 1,745,150 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
France’s coastline is 2 times as long as Iran’s
France: 4,853 km (2026 edition) · Iran: 2,440 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Iran’s highest peak towers 815 m above France’s
France: 4,810 m (2026 edition) · Iran: 5,625 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 53% of France, versus 29% of Iran
France: 52.8% (2024) · Iran: 29% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Iran has 34% more people than France
France: 68.7 million (2025) · Iran: 92.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
France is 2.2 times as densely populated as Iran
France: 128 per km² (2025) · Iran: 57 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in France are 3.0 cm taller than in Iran
France: 178.6 cm (2019) · Iran: 175.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in France are 3.3 cm taller than in Iran
France: 164.5 cm (2019) · Iran: 161.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in France is 9 years older than in Iran
France: 41.8 years (2023) · Iran: 32.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Iran have 0.1 more children on average than in France
France: 1.61 children per woman (2024) · Iran: 1.68 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
23% of people in France are 65 or older, versus 8.6% in Iran
France: 22.5% (2025) · Iran: 8.6% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
France hosts 38% more refugees per resident than Iran
France: 11.5 per 1,000 (2025) · Iran: 8.3 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
France has produced 9.5 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Iran 0.3
France: 9.5 (2026) · Iran: 0.3 (2026)
How many official languages?
France and Iran are practically level
France: 1 (2026) · Iran: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
France’s economy is 9.3 times the size of Iran’s
France: $3.37 trillion (2025) · Iran: $363 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
France produces 3.2 times as much per person as Iran
France: Int$63,975 (2025) · Iran: Int$19,699 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Iran than in France (Gini 4.1 points higher)
France: 31.8 (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 France
France: 0.1% (2023) · Iran: 2.5% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 8.3% in Iran, versus 7.5% in France
France: 7.5% (2025) · Iran: 8.3% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Iran and France are practically level
France: 2% (2025) · Iran: 2.1% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
France: 22.8% (2024) · Iran: no data
How expensive is it?
France’s price level (US = 100) is 3.8× Iran’s
France: 77% (2025) · Iran: 20% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
France spends 20 times as much on health per person as Iran
France: $5,327 (2024) · Iran: $267 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in France live 5.1 years longer than in Iran
France: 83 years (2024) · Iran: 77.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Iran is 3 times as likely to die before turning one as in France
France: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024) · Iran: 10.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
France has 81% more doctors per person than Iran
France: 3.3 per 1,000 (2022) · Iran: 1.8 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
France has 3.1 times as many hospital beds per person as Iran
France: 5.7 per 1,000 (2022) · Iran: 1.9 per 1,000 (2019)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in France is 2.3 times that in Iran
France: 13.9 per 100k (2023) · Iran: 6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Iran are obese, versus 13% in France
France: 12.5% (2024) · Iran: 25.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
34% of adults in France smoke, versus 12% in Iran
France: 33.6% (2024) · Iran: 11.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in France rate their lives 1.44 points higher than in Iran
France: 6.59 (2025) · Iran: 5.15 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in France drink 541 times as much alcohol as in Iran
France: 11.2 litres (2023) · Iran: 0.021 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
France has 2.7 times as much meat per person as Iran
France: 80.3 kg (2023) · Iran: 29.9 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
France has 614 kcal more food per person per day than Iran
France: 3,490 kcal (2023) · Iran: 2,875 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Iran put in 759 more hours a year than in France
France: 1,487 hours (2023) · Iran: 2,246 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in France went to school 0.92 years longer than in Iran
France: 11.8 years (2023) · Iran: 10.8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
France: 1.35 (2019) · Iran: no data
How many World Heritage sites?
France has 26 more World Heritage sites than Iran (56 against 30)
France: 56 (2026) · Iran: 30 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
France has won 985 Olympic medals, Iran 88
France: 985 (2026 edition) · Iran: 88 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
89% of people in France are online, versus 85% in Iran
France: 89% (2024) · Iran: 85% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
France: 460 Mbps (2026) · Iran: no data
Who has electricity at home?
France and Iran are practically level
France: 100% (2024) · Iran: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
79% of people in France live in cities, versus 77% in Iran
France: 79% (2025) · Iran: 77% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Iran has 174 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, France 117
France: 117 (2023) · Iran: 174 (2024)
How much railway is there?
France’s railway network is 2.9 times as long as Iran’s
France: 27,716 km (2021) · Iran: 9,455 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from France fly 4.8 times as many passengers per resident as those from Iran
France: 0.94 (2023) · Iran: 0.2 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 33% of France, but only 6.6% of Iran
France: 32.9% (2024) · Iran: 6.6% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Iran emits 2.2 times as much CO₂ as someone in France
France: 4 t (2024) · Iran: 8.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
26% of France’s electricity is renewable, versus 3.8% in Iran
France: 26.1% (2025) · Iran: 3.8% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Iran carries 4.2 times as much fine dust as in France
France: 8.9 µg/m³ (2024) · Iran: 37.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 76% more likely to be murdered in Iran than in France
France: 1.3 per 100k (2024) · Iran: 2.4 per 100k (2014)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Iran are 3.8 times as deadly as in France
France: 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 5.1 °C warmer than France
France: 14.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · Iran: 19.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
France gets 4.3 times as much rain as Iran
France: 1,158 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 France bigger than Iran?
Iran is larger. France fits inside Iran 2.9 times.
Which has more people, France or Iran?
Iran has 34% more people than France (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, France or Iran?
People in France live 5.1 years longer than in Iran. Life expectancy at birth is 83.0 years in France and 77.9 in Iran.
Are people taller in France or Iran?
Men in France are 3.0 cm taller than in Iran (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
