Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Norway fits inside Iran 2.8 times
Iran: 1,745,150 km² (2024) · Norway: 624,500 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Norway’s coastline is 10 times as long as Iran’s
Iran: 2,440 km (2026 edition) · Norway: 25,148 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Iran’s highest peak towers 3,156 m above Norway’s
Iran: 5,625 m (2026 edition) · Norway: 2,469 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 29% of Iran, versus 2.7% of Norway
Iran: 29% (2024) · Norway: 2.7% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Iran has 16 times as many people as Norway
Iran: 92.4 million (2025) · Norway: 5.61 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Iran is 3.7 times as densely populated as Norway
Iran: 57 per km² (2025) · Norway: 15 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Norway are 4.9 cm taller than in Iran
Iran: 175.6 cm (2019) · Norway: 180.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Norway are 5.3 cm taller than in Iran
Iran: 161.2 cm (2019) · Norway: 166.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Norway is 6.7 years older than in Iran
Iran: 32.9 years (2023) · Norway: 39.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Iran have 0.2 more children on average than in Norway
Iran: 1.68 children per woman (2024) · Norway: 1.45 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
19% of people in Norway are 65 or older, versus 8.6% in Iran
Iran: 8.6% (2025) · Norway: 19.1% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Norway hosts 2.7 times as many refugees per resident as Iran
Iran: 8.3 per 1,000 (2025) · Norway: 22.1 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Norway has produced 23.2 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Iran 0.3
Iran: 0.3 (2026) · Norway: 23.2 (2026)
How many official languages?
Norway has 3 official languages, Iran 1
Iran: 1 (2026) · Norway: 3 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Norway’s economy is 46% larger than Iran’s
Iran: $363 billion (2025) · Norway: $531 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Norway produces 5.3 times as much per person as Iran
Iran: Int$19,699 (2025) · Norway: Int$104,044 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Iran than in Norway (Gini 9.4 points higher)
Iran: 35.9 (2023) · Norway: 26.5 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
2.5% of people in Iran live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.2% in Norway
Iran: 2.5% (2023) · Norway: 0.2% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 8.3% in Iran, versus 4.6% in Norway
Iran: 8.3% (2025) · Norway: 4.6% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Norway spends 3.3% of its GDP on the military, Iran 2.1%
Iran: 2.1% (2025) · Norway: 3.3% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Iran: no data · Norway: 24.5% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Norway’s price level (US = 100) is 4.6× Iran’s
Iran: 20% (2025) · Norway: 91% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Norway spends 31 times as much on health per person as Iran
Iran: $267 (2023) · Norway: $8,296 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Norway live 5.3 years longer than in Iran
Iran: 77.9 years (2024) · Norway: 83.2 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Iran is 5.2 times as likely to die before turning one as in Norway
Iran: 10.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Norway: 2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Norway has 2.7 times as many doctors per person as Iran
Iran: 1.8 per 1,000 (2023) · Norway: 5 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Norway has 78% more hospital beds per person than Iran
Iran: 1.9 per 1,000 (2019) · Norway: 3.3 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Norway is 93% higher than in Iran
Iran: 6 per 100k (2023) · Norway: 11.6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Iran are obese, versus 21% in Norway
Iran: 25.7% (2024) · Norway: 20.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
13% of adults in Norway smoke, versus 12% in Iran
Iran: 11.9% (2024) · Norway: 12.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Norway rate their lives 2.09 points higher than in Iran
Iran: 5.15 (2025) · Norway: 7.24 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Norway drink 336 times as much alcohol as in Iran
Iran: 0.021 litres (2023) · Norway: 7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Norway has 2.4 times as much meat per person as Iran
Iran: 29.9 kg (2023) · Norway: 70.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Norway has 600 kcal more food per person per day than Iran
Iran: 2,875 kcal (2023) · Norway: 3,476 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Iran put in 834 more hours a year than in Norway
Iran: 2,246 hours (2023) · Norway: 1,412 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Norway went to school 2.3 years longer than in Iran
Iran: 10.8 years (2023) · Norway: 13.1 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Iran: no data · Norway: 0.91 (2022)
How many World Heritage sites?
Iran has 22 more World Heritage sites than Norway (30 against 8)
Iran: 30 (2026) · Norway: 8 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Norway has won 616 Olympic medals, Iran 88
Iran: 88 (2026 edition) · Norway: 616 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
99% of people in Norway are online, versus 85% in Iran
Iran: 85% (2024) · Norway: 99% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Iran: no data · Norway: 228 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Iran and Norway are practically level
Iran: 100% (2024) · Norway: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
84% of people in Norway live in cities, versus 77% in Iran
Iran: 77% (2025) · Norway: 84% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Iran has 174 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Norway 109
Iran: 174 (2024) · Norway: 109 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Iran’s railway network is 2.4 times as long as Norway’s
Iran: 9,455 km (2021) · Norway: 3,885 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Iran: 0.2 (2023) · Norway: no data
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 33% of Norway, but only 6.6% of Iran
Iran: 6.6% (2024) · Norway: 33.2% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Iran emits 30% more CO₂ than someone in Norway
Iran: 8.7 t (2024) · Norway: 6.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
99% of Norway’s electricity is renewable, versus 3.8% in Iran
Iran: 3.8% (2025) · Norway: 99% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Iran carries 5.6 times as much fine dust as in Norway
Iran: 37.7 µg/m³ (2024) · Norway: 6.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 3.3 times as likely to be murdered in Iran as in Norway
Iran: 2.4 per 100k (2014) · Norway: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Iran are 10 times as deadly as in Norway
Iran: 28.9 per 100k (2023) · Norway: 2.9 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Iran is on average 17.7 °C warmer than Norway
Iran: 19.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Norway: 1.6°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Norway gets 4.6 times as much rain as Iran
Iran: 272 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Norway: 1,259 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Iran bigger than Norway?
Iran is larger. Norway fits inside Iran 2.8 times.
Which has more people, Iran or Norway?
Iran has 16 times as many people as Norway (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Iran or Norway?
People in Norway live 5.3 years longer than in Iran. Life expectancy at birth is 77.9 years in Iran and 83.2 in Norway.
Are people taller in Iran or Norway?
Men in Norway are 4.9 cm taller than in Iran (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
