Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Japan fits inside Iran 4.6 times
Iran: 1,745,150 km² (2024) · Japan: 377,975 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Japan’s coastline is 12 times as long as Iran’s
Iran: 2,440 km (2026 edition) · Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Iran’s highest peak towers 1,849 m above Japan’s
Iran: 5,625 m (2026 edition) · Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 29% of Iran, versus 13% of Japan
Iran: 29% (2024) · Japan: 12.6% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Japan has 33% more people than Iran
Iran: 92.4 million (2025) · Japan: 123 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Japan is 5.9 times as densely populated as Iran
Iran: 57 per km² (2025) · Japan: 338 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Iran are 3.6 cm taller than in Japan
Iran: 175.6 cm (2019) · Japan: 172.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Iran are 2.7 cm taller than in Japan
Iran: 161.2 cm (2019) · Japan: 158.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 16 years older than in Iran
Iran: 32.9 years (2023) · Japan: 49 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Iran have 0.5 more children on average than in Japan
Iran: 1.68 children per woman (2024) · Japan: 1.15 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
30% of people in Japan are 65 or older, versus 8.6% in Iran
Iran: 8.6% (2025) · Japan: 30% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Iran hosts 24 times as many refugees per resident as Japan
Iran: 8.3 per 1,000 (2025) · Japan: 0.3 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Japan has produced 2.5 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Iran 0.3
Iran: 0.3 (2026) · Japan: 2.5 (2026)
How many official languages?
Iran and Japan are practically level
Iran: 1 (2026) · Japan: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Japan’s economy is 12 times the size of Iran’s
Iran: $363 billion (2025) · Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Japan produces 2.8 times as much per person as Iran
Iran: Int$19,699 (2025) · Japan: Int$55,422 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Iran than in Japan (Gini 3.6 points higher)
Iran: 35.9 (2023) · Japan: 32.3 (2020)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
2.5% of people in Iran live on less than $3 a day, versus 1.2% in Japan
Iran: 2.5% (2023) · Japan: 1.2% (2020)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 8.3% in Iran, versus 2.5% in Japan
Iran: 8.3% (2025) · Japan: 2.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Iran spends 2.1% of its GDP on the military, Japan 1.4%
Iran: 2.1% (2025) · Japan: 1.4% (2025)
How expensive is it?
Japan’s price level (US = 100) is 3.3× Iran’s
Iran: 20% (2025) · Japan: 65% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Japan spends 14 times as much on health per person as Iran
Iran: $267 (2023) · Japan: $3,638 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Japan live 6.2 years longer than in Iran
Iran: 77.9 years (2024) · Japan: 84 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Iran is 5.7 times as likely to die before turning one as in Japan
Iran: 10.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Japan has 46% more doctors per person than Iran
Iran: 1.8 per 1,000 (2023) · Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Japan has 6.8 times as many hospital beds per person as Iran
Iran: 1.9 per 1,000 (2019) · Japan: 12.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Japan is 2.4 times that in Iran
Iran: 6 per 100k (2023) · Japan: 14.4 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Iran are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan
Iran: 25.7% (2024) · Japan: 5.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
18% of adults in Japan smoke, versus 12% in Iran
Iran: 11.9% (2024) · Japan: 17.5% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Japan rate their lives 0.98 points higher than in Iran
Iran: 5.15 (2025) · Japan: 6.13 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Japan drink 303 times as much alcohol as in Iran
Iran: 0.021 litres (2023) · Japan: 6.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Japan has 2 times as much meat per person as Iran
Iran: 29.9 kg (2023) · Japan: 59.9 kg (2022)
How much food is there per day?
Iran has 205 kcal more food per person per day than Japan
Iran: 2,875 kcal (2023) · Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022)
How long do people work?
Workers in Iran put in 592 more hours a year than in Japan
Iran: 2,246 hours (2023) · Japan: 1,654 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Japan went to school 1.8 years longer than in Iran
Iran: 10.8 years (2023) · Japan: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Iran: no data · Japan: 0.3 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
Iran has 3 more World Heritage sites than Japan (30 against 27)
Iran: 30 (2026) · Japan: 27 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Japan has won 642 Olympic medals, Iran 88
Iran: 88 (2026 edition) · Japan: 642 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
Japan and Iran are practically level
Iran: 85% (2024) · Japan: 86% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Iran: no data · Japan: 322 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Iran and Japan are practically level
Iran: 100% (2024) · Japan: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Japan live in cities, versus 77% in Iran
Iran: 77% (2025) · Japan: 92% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Japan has 178 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Iran 174
Iran: 174 (2024) · Japan: 178 (2023)
How much railway is there?
Japan’s railway network is 2.1 times as long as Iran’s
Iran: 9,455 km (2021) · Japan: 20,087 km (2011)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Japan fly 5 times as many passengers per resident as those from Iran
Iran: 0.2 (2023) · Japan: 0.98 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 68% of Japan, but only 6.6% of Iran
Iran: 6.6% (2024) · Japan: 68.3% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Iran emits 11% more CO₂ than someone in Japan
Iran: 8.7 t (2024) · Japan: 7.8 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
24% of Japan’s electricity is renewable, versus 3.8% in Iran
Iran: 3.8% (2025) · Japan: 23.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Iran carries 3.6 times as much fine dust as in Japan
Iran: 37.7 µg/m³ (2024) · Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 10 times as likely to be murdered in Iran as in Japan
Iran: 2.4 per 100k (2014) · Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Iran are 7.6 times as deadly as in Japan
Iran: 28.9 per 100k (2023) · Japan: 3.8 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Iran is on average 6.5 °C warmer than Japan
Iran: 19.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Japan gets 6.7 times as much rain as Iran
Iran: 272 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Japan: 1,824 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Iran bigger than Japan?
Iran is larger. Japan fits inside Iran 4.6 times.
Which has more people, Iran or Japan?
Japan has 33% more people than Iran (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Iran or Japan?
People in Japan live 6.2 years longer than in Iran. Life expectancy at birth is 77.9 years in Iran and 84.0 in Japan.
Are people taller in Iran or Japan?
Men in Iran are 3.6 cm taller than in Japan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
