Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Germany fits inside Iran 4.9 times
Germany: 357,680 km² (2024) · Iran: 1,745,150 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Iran’s coastline is 2% longer than Germany’s
Germany: 2,389 km (2026 edition) · Iran: 2,440 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Iran’s highest peak towers 2,662 m above Germany’s
Germany: 2,963 m (2026 edition) · Iran: 5,625 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 47% of Germany, versus 29% of Iran
Germany: 47.4% (2024) · Iran: 29% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Iran has 11% more people than Germany
Germany: 83.5 million (2025) · Iran: 92.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Germany is 4.2 times as densely populated as Iran
Germany: 239 per km² (2025) · Iran: 57 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Germany are 4.7 cm taller than in Iran
Germany: 180.3 cm (2019) · Iran: 175.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Germany are 5.0 cm taller than in Iran
Germany: 166.2 cm (2019) · Iran: 161.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Germany is 12 years older than in Iran
Germany: 45.1 years (2023) · Iran: 32.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Iran have 0.3 more children on average than in Germany
Germany: 1.36 children per woman (2024) · Iran: 1.68 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Germany are 65 or older, versus 8.6% in Iran
Germany: 23.7% (2025) · Iran: 8.6% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Germany hosts 3.8 times as many refugees per resident as Iran
Germany: 31.8 per 1,000 (2025) · Iran: 8.3 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Germany has produced 10.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Iran 0.3
Germany: 10.3 (2026) · Iran: 0.3 (2026)
How many official languages?
Germany and Iran are practically level
Germany: 1 (2026) · Iran: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Germany’s economy is 14 times the size of Iran’s
Germany: $5.05 trillion (2025) · Iran: $363 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Germany produces 3.8 times as much per person as Iran
Germany: Int$75,407 (2025) · Iran: Int$19,699 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Iran than in Germany (Gini 2.2 points higher)
Germany: 33.7 (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 0.7% in Germany
Germany: 0.7% (2022) · Iran: 2.5% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 8.3% in Iran, versus 3.7% in Germany
Germany: 3.7% (2025) · Iran: 8.3% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Germany and Iran are practically level
Germany: 2.3% (2025) · Iran: 2.1% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Germany: 10.9% (2024) · Iran: no data
How expensive is it?
Germany’s price level (US = 100) is 4× Iran’s
Germany: 80% (2025) · Iran: 20% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Germany spends 26 times as much on health per person as Iran
Germany: $6,849 (2024) · Iran: $267 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Germany live 2.9 years longer than in Iran
Germany: 80.8 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 Germany
Germany: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Iran: 10.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Germany has 2.5 times as many doctors per person as Iran
Germany: 4.5 per 1,000 (2022) · Iran: 1.8 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Germany has 4.1 times as many hospital beds per person as Iran
Germany: 7.6 per 1,000 (2023) · Iran: 1.9 per 1,000 (2019)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Germany is 67% higher than in Iran
Germany: 10 per 100k (2023) · Iran: 6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Iran are obese, versus 24% in Germany
Germany: 24.5% (2024) · Iran: 25.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
22% of adults in Germany smoke, versus 12% in Iran
Germany: 22% (2024) · Iran: 11.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Germany rate their lives 1.73 points higher than in Iran
Germany: 6.88 (2025) · Iran: 5.15 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Germany drink 529 times as much alcohol as in Iran
Germany: 10.9 litres (2023) · Iran: 0.021 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Germany has 2.4 times as much meat per person as Iran
Germany: 70.7 kg (2023) · Iran: 29.9 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Germany has 659 kcal more food per person per day than Iran
Germany: 3,535 kcal (2023) · Iran: 2,875 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Iran put in 911 more hours a year than in Germany
Germany: 1,335 hours (2023) · Iran: 2,246 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Germany went to school 3.4 years longer than in Iran
Germany: 14.3 years (2023) · Iran: 10.8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Germany: 0.45 (2024) · Iran: no data
How many World Heritage sites?
Germany has 25 more World Heritage sites than Iran (55 against 30)
Germany: 55 (2026) · Iran: 30 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Germany has won 980 Olympic medals, Iran 88
Germany: 980 (2026 edition) · Iran: 88 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Germany are online, versus 85% in Iran
Germany: 94% (2024) · Iran: 85% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Germany: 187 Mbps (2026) · Iran: no data
Who has electricity at home?
Germany and Iran are practically level
Germany: 100% (2024) · Iran: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
82% of people in Germany live in cities, versus 77% in Iran
Germany: 82% (2025) · Iran: 77% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Iran has 174 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Germany 129
Germany: 129 (2024) · Iran: 174 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Germany’s railway network is 3.5 times as long as Iran’s
Germany: 33,401 km (2021) · Iran: 9,455 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Germany fly 4.9 times as many passengers per resident as those from Iran
Germany: 0.96 (2023) · Iran: 0.2 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 33% of Germany, but only 6.6% of Iran
Germany: 32.8% (2024) · Iran: 6.6% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Iran emits 28% more CO₂ than someone in Germany
Germany: 6.8 t (2024) · Iran: 8.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
59% of Germany’s electricity is renewable, versus 3.8% in Iran
Germany: 59.1% (2025) · Iran: 3.8% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Iran carries 4.1 times as much fine dust as in Germany
Germany: 9.1 µg/m³ (2024) · Iran: 37.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2.6 times as likely to be murdered in Iran as in Germany
Germany: 0.9 per 100k (2023) · Iran: 2.4 per 100k (2014)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Iran are 5.4 times as deadly as in Germany
Germany: 5.4 per 100k (2023) · Iran: 28.9 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Iran is on average 9.0 °C warmer than Germany
Germany: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Iran: 19.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Germany gets 3.2 times as much rain as Iran
Germany: 871 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 Germany bigger than Iran?
Iran is larger. Germany fits inside Iran 4.9 times.
Which has more people, Germany or Iran?
Iran has 11% more people than Germany (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Germany or Iran?
People in Germany live 2.9 years longer than in Iran. Life expectancy at birth is 80.8 years in Germany and 77.9 in Iran.
Are people taller in Germany or Iran?
Men in Germany are 4.7 cm taller than in Iran (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
