Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Italy fits inside Iran 5.8 times
Iran: 1,745,150 km² (2024) · Italy: 302,070 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Italy’s coastline is 3.1 times as long as Iran’s
Iran: 2,440 km (2026 edition) · Italy: 7,600 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Iran’s highest peak towers 877 m above Italy’s
Iran: 5,625 m (2026 edition) · Italy: 4,748 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 44% of Italy, versus 29% of Iran
Iran: 29% (2024) · Italy: 43.6% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Iran has 57% more people than Italy
Iran: 92.4 million (2025) · Italy: 58.9 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Italy is 3.5 times as densely populated as Iran
Iran: 57 per km² (2025) · Italy: 199 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Iran are 1.2 cm taller than in Italy
Iran: 175.6 cm (2019) · Italy: 174.4 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Italy and Iran are practically level
Iran: 161.2 cm (2019) · Italy: 161.8 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Italy is 15 years older than in Iran
Iran: 32.9 years (2023) · Italy: 47.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Iran have 0.5 more children on average than in Italy
Iran: 1.68 children per woman (2024) · Italy: 1.18 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
25% of people in Italy are 65 or older, versus 8.6% in Iran
Iran: 8.6% (2025) · Italy: 25.1% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Iran hosts 2.5 times as many refugees per resident as Italy
Iran: 8.3 per 1,000 (2025) · Italy: 3.3 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Italy has produced 3.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Iran 0.3
Iran: 0.3 (2026) · Italy: 3.4 (2026)
How many official languages?
Iran and Italy are practically level
Iran: 1 (2026) · Italy: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Italy’s economy is 7 times the size of Iran’s
Iran: $363 billion (2025) · Italy: $2.55 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Italy produces 3.2 times as much per person as Iran
Iran: Int$19,699 (2025) · Italy: Int$62,803 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Iran than in Italy (Gini 1.6 points higher)
Iran: 35.9 (2023) · Italy: 34.3 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
2.5% of people in Iran live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.9% in Italy
Iran: 2.5% (2023) · Italy: 0.9% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 8.3% in Iran, versus 6.4% in Italy
Iran: 8.3% (2025) · Italy: 6.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Iran and Italy are practically level
Iran: 2.1% (2025) · Italy: 1.9% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Iran: no data · Italy: 25.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Italy’s price level (US = 100) is 3.5× Iran’s
Iran: 20% (2025) · Italy: 69% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Italy spends 13 times as much on health per person as Iran
Iran: $267 (2023) · Italy: $3,398 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Italy live 6.1 years longer than in Iran
Iran: 77.9 years (2024) · Italy: 84 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Iran is 4.5 times as likely to die before turning one as in Italy
Iran: 10.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Italy: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Italy has 2.3 times as many doctors per person as Iran
Iran: 1.8 per 1,000 (2023) · Italy: 4.2 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Italy has 65% more hospital beds per person than Iran
Iran: 1.9 per 1,000 (2019) · Italy: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Iran is 5% higher than in Italy
Iran: 6 per 100k (2023) · Italy: 5.7 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Iran are obese, versus 18% in Italy
Iran: 25.7% (2024) · Italy: 17.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
22% of adults in Italy smoke, versus 12% in Iran
Iran: 11.9% (2024) · Italy: 22.4% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Italy rate their lives 1.42 points higher than in Iran
Iran: 5.15 (2025) · Italy: 6.57 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Italy drink 408 times as much alcohol as in Iran
Iran: 0.021 litres (2023) · Italy: 8.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Italy has 2.4 times as much meat per person as Iran
Iran: 29.9 kg (2023) · Italy: 71.2 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Italy has 878 kcal more food per person per day than Iran
Iran: 2,875 kcal (2023) · Italy: 3,753 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Iran put in 545 more hours a year than in Italy
Iran: 2,246 hours (2023) · Italy: 1,701 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Iran and Italy are practically level
Iran: 10.8 years (2023) · Italy: 10.8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Iran: no data · Italy: 0.98 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
Italy has 32 more World Heritage sites than Iran (62 against 30)
Iran: 30 (2026) · Italy: 62 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Italy has won 829 Olympic medals, Iran 88
Iran: 88 (2026 edition) · Italy: 829 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
89% of people in Italy are online, versus 85% in Iran
Iran: 85% (2024) · Italy: 89% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Iran: no data · Italy: 274 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Iran and Italy are practically level
Iran: 100% (2024) · Italy: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
77% of people in Iran live in cities, versus 70% in Italy
Iran: 77% (2025) · Italy: 70% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Iran has 174 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Italy 133
Iran: 174 (2024) · Italy: 133 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Italy’s railway network is 83% longer than Iran’s
Iran: 9,455 km (2021) · Italy: 17,305 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Italy fly 76% more passengers per resident than those from Iran
Iran: 0.2 (2023) · Italy: 0.34 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 32% of Italy, but only 6.6% of Iran
Iran: 6.6% (2024) · Italy: 31.8% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Iran emits 70% more CO₂ than someone in Italy
Iran: 8.7 t (2024) · Italy: 5.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
49% of Italy’s electricity is renewable, versus 3.8% in Iran
Iran: 3.8% (2025) · Italy: 48.8% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Iran carries 2.5 times as much fine dust as in Italy
Iran: 37.7 µg/m³ (2024) · Italy: 15.2 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 4.2 times as likely to be murdered in Iran as in Italy
Iran: 2.4 per 100k (2014) · Italy: 0.6 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Iran are 3.4 times as deadly as in Italy
Iran: 28.9 per 100k (2023) · Italy: 8.5 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Iran is on average 5.4 °C warmer than Italy
Iran: 19.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Italy: 13.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Italy gets 3.8 times as much rain as Iran
Iran: 272 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Italy: 1,030 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Iran bigger than Italy?
Iran is larger. Italy fits inside Iran 5.8 times.
Which has more people, Iran or Italy?
Iran has 57% more people than Italy (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Iran or Italy?
People in Italy live 6.1 years longer than in Iran. Life expectancy at birth is 77.9 years in Iran and 84.0 in Italy.
Are people taller in Iran or Italy?
Men in Iran are 1.2 cm taller than in Italy (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
