Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Israel fits inside Iran 79 times
Iran: 1,745,150 km² (2024) · Israel: 22,070 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Iran’s coastline is 8.9 times as long as Israel’s
Iran: 2,440 km (2026 edition) · Israel: 273 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Iran’s highest peak towers 3,389 m above Israel’s
Iran: 5,625 m (2026 edition) · Israel: 2,236 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 29% of Iran, versus 24% of Israel
Iran: 29% (2024) · Israel: 23.8% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Iran has 9.1 times as many people as Israel
Iran: 92.4 million (2025) · Israel: 10.1 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Israel is 8.2 times as densely populated as Iran
Iran: 57 per km² (2025) · Israel: 468 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Israel and Iran are practically level
Iran: 175.6 cm (2019) · Israel: 176 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Israel are 1.0 cm taller than in Iran
Iran: 161.2 cm (2019) · Israel: 162.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Iran is 3.7 years older than in Israel
Iran: 32.9 years (2023) · Israel: 29.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Israel have 1.2 more children on average than in Iran
Iran: 1.68 children per woman (2024) · Israel: 2.87 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
13% of people in Israel are 65 or older, versus 8.6% in Iran
Iran: 8.6% (2025) · Israel: 12.7% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Iran hosts 66 times as many refugees per resident as Israel
Iran: 8.3 per 1,000 (2025) · Israel: 0.1 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Israel has produced 5.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Iran 0.3
Iran: 0.3 (2026) · Israel: 5.9 (2026)
How many official languages?
Israel has 2 official languages, Iran 1
Iran: 1 (2026) · Israel: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Israel’s economy is 68% larger than Iran’s
Iran: $363 billion (2025) · Israel: $611 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Israel produces 3 times as much per person as Iran
Iran: Int$19,699 (2025) · Israel: Int$59,717 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Israel than in Iran (Gini 2.4 points higher)
Iran: 35.9 (2023) · Israel: 38.3 (2022)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
2.5% of people in Iran live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.4% in Israel
Iran: 2.5% (2023) · Israel: 0.4% (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 8.3% in Iran, versus 3.5% in Israel
Iran: 8.3% (2025) · Israel: 3.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Israel spends 7.8% of its GDP on the military, Iran 2.1%
Iran: 2.1% (2025) · Israel: 7.8% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Iran: no data · Israel: 23.2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Israel’s price level (US = 100) is 5.1× Iran’s
Iran: 20% (2025) · Israel: 101% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Israel spends 15 times as much on health per person as Iran
Iran: $267 (2023) · Israel: $3,928 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Israel live 5.3 years longer than in Iran
Iran: 77.9 years (2024) · Israel: 83.2 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Iran is 3.8 times as likely to die before turning one as in Israel
Iran: 10.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Israel: 2.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Israel has 2.1 times as many doctors per person as Iran
Iran: 1.8 per 1,000 (2023) · Israel: 3.8 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Israel has 70% more hospital beds per person than Iran
Iran: 1.9 per 1,000 (2019) · Israel: 3.1 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Israel is 15% higher than in Iran
Iran: 6 per 100k (2023) · Israel: 6.9 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Iran are obese, versus 23% in Israel
Iran: 25.7% (2024) · Israel: 23.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
21% of adults in Israel smoke, versus 12% in Iran
Iran: 11.9% (2024) · Israel: 21.2% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Israel rate their lives 2.04 points higher than in Iran
Iran: 5.15 (2025) · Israel: 7.19 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Israel drink 203 times as much alcohol as in Iran
Iran: 0.021 litres (2023) · Israel: 4.2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Israel has 3.6 times as much meat per person as Iran
Iran: 29.9 kg (2023) · Israel: 108.7 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Israel has 879 kcal more food per person per day than Iran
Iran: 2,875 kcal (2023) · Israel: 3,754 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Iran put in 356 more hours a year than in Israel
Iran: 2,246 hours (2023) · Israel: 1,890 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Israel went to school 2.7 years longer than in Iran
Iran: 10.8 years (2023) · Israel: 13.5 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Iran: no data · Israel: 0.1 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
Iran has 21 more World Heritage sites than Israel (30 against 9)
Iran: 30 (2026) · Israel: 9 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Iran has won 88 Olympic medals, Israel 20
Iran: 88 (2026 edition) · Israel: 20 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
88% of people in Israel are online, versus 85% in Iran
Iran: 85% (2024) · Israel: 88% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Iran: no data · Israel: 392 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Iran and Israel are practically level
Iran: 100% (2024) · Israel: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Israel live in cities, versus 77% in Iran
Iran: 77% (2025) · Israel: 92% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Israel has 177 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Iran 174
Iran: 174 (2024) · Israel: 177 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Iran’s railway network is 5.5 times as long as Israel’s
Iran: 9,455 km (2021) · Israel: 1,720 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Israel fly 3.7 times as many passengers per resident as those from Iran
Iran: 0.2 (2023) · Israel: 0.73 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Israel and Iran are practically level
Iran: 6.6% (2024) · Israel: 6.8% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Iran emits 54% more CO₂ than someone in Israel
Iran: 8.7 t (2024) · Israel: 5.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
17% of Israel’s electricity is renewable, versus 3.8% in Iran
Iran: 3.8% (2025) · Israel: 16.9% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Iran carries 85% more fine dust than in Israel
Iran: 37.7 µg/m³ (2024) · Israel: 20.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 46% more likely to be murdered in Iran than in Israel
Iran: 2.4 per 100k (2014) · Israel: 1.6 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Iran are 4.3 times as deadly as in Israel
Iran: 28.9 per 100k (2023) · Israel: 6.8 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Israel is on average 1.8 °C warmer than Iran
Iran: 19.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Israel: 21.1°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Iran gets 33% more rain than Israel
Iran: 272 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Israel: 205 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Iran bigger than Israel?
Iran is larger. Israel fits inside Iran 79 times.
Which has more people, Iran or Israel?
Iran has 9.1 times as many people as Israel (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Iran or Israel?
People in Israel live 5.3 years longer than in Iran. Life expectancy at birth is 77.9 years in Iran and 83.2 in Israel.
Are people taller in Iran or Israel?
Israel and Iran are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
