Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Pakistan fits inside Iran 2.2 times.
Iran: 1,745,150 km² (2023) · Pakistan: 796,100 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Iran’s coastline is 2.3 times as long as Pakistan’s.
Iran: 2,440 km (2026 edition) · Pakistan: 1,046 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Pakistan’s highest peak towers 2,986 m above Iran’s.
Iran: 5,625 m (2026 edition) · Pakistan: 8,611 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Pakistan has 2.8 times as many people as Iran.
Iran: 92.4 million (2025) · Pakistan: 255 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Pakistan is 5.8 times as densely populated as Iran.
Iran: 57 per km² (2025) · Pakistan: 331 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Iran are 8.3 cm taller than in Pakistan.
Iran: 175.6 cm (2019) · Pakistan: 167.3 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Iran are 6.4 cm taller than in Pakistan.
Iran: 161.2 cm (2019) · Pakistan: 154.8 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Iran is 13 years older than in Pakistan.
Iran: 32.9 years (2023) · Pakistan: 20.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Pakistan have 1.9 more children on average than in Iran.
Iran: 1.68 children per woman (2024) · Pakistan: 3.55 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
8.6% of people in Iran are 65 or older, versus 4.4% in Pakistan.
Iran: 8.6% (2025) · Pakistan: 4.4% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Iran has produced 0.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Pakistan 0.1.
Iran: 0.3 (2025) · Pakistan: 0.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
Pakistan has 2 official languages, Iran 1.
Iran: 1 (2026) · Pakistan: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Pakistan’s economy is 12% larger than Iran’s.
Iran: $363 billion (2025) · Pakistan: $407 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Iran produces 3 times as much per person as Pakistan.
Iran: Int$19,699 (2025) · Pakistan: Int$6,573 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Iran than in Pakistan (Gini 2.4 points higher).
Iran: 35.9 (2023) · Pakistan: 33.5 (2024)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 8.3% in Iran, versus 5.4% in Pakistan.
Iran: 8.3% (2025) · Pakistan: 5.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Pakistan spends 2.7% of its GDP on the military, Iran 2.0%.
Iran: 2% (2024) · Pakistan: 2.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Pakistan’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Iran’s.
Iran: 20% (2025) · Pakistan: 24% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Iran spends 8.8 times as much on health per person as Pakistan.
Iran: $267 (2023) · Pakistan: $30 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Iran live 10 years longer than in Pakistan.
Iran: 77.9 years (2024) · Pakistan: 67.8 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Pakistan is 4.7 times as likely to die before turning one as in Iran.
Iran: 10.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Pakistan: 48.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Iran has 56% more doctors per person than Pakistan.
Iran: 1.8 per 1,000 (2023) · Pakistan: 1.2 per 1,000 (2021)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Iran are obese, versus 24% in Pakistan.
Iran: 25.7% (2024) · Pakistan: 23.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
18% of adults in Pakistan smoke, versus 12% in Iran.
Iran: 11.9% (2024) · Pakistan: 17.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Iran rate their lives 0.28 points higher than in Pakistan.
Iran: 5.15 (2025) · Pakistan: 4.87 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Pakistan drink 4.2 times as much alcohol as in Iran.
Iran: 0.021 litres (2023) · Pakistan: 0.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Iran has 41% more meat per person than Pakistan.
Iran: 29.9 kg (2023) · Pakistan: 21.2 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Iran has 361 kcal more food per person per day than Pakistan.
Iran: 2,875 kcal (2023) · Pakistan: 2,514 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Pakistan put in 225 more hours a year than in Iran.
Iran: 2,246 hours (2023) · Pakistan: 2,471 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Iran went to school 6.5 years longer than in Pakistan.
Iran: 10.8 years (2023) · Pakistan: 4.3 years (2023)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
85% of people in Iran are online, versus 57% in Pakistan.
Iran: 85% (2024) · Pakistan: 57% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Iran have electricity, versus 96% in Pakistan.
Iran: 100% (2024) · Pakistan: 95.7% (2024)
How many live in cities?
77% of people in Iran live in cities, versus 40% in Pakistan.
Iran: 77% (2025) · Pakistan: 40% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Iran has 174 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Pakistan 77.
Iran: 174 (2024) · Pakistan: 77 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Iran’s railway network is 21% longer than Pakistan’s.
Iran: 9,455 km (2021) · Pakistan: 7,791 km (2019)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Iran fly 7 times as many passengers per resident as those from Pakistan.
Iran: 0.2 (2023) · Pakistan: 0.03 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 6.6% of Iran, but only 4.7% of Pakistan.
Iran: 6.6% (2023) · Pakistan: 4.7% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Iran emits 12 times as much CO₂ as someone in Pakistan.
Iran: 8.7 t (2024) · Pakistan: 0.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
43% of Pakistan’s electricity is renewable, versus 3.8% in Iran.
Iran: 3.8% (2025) · Pakistan: 42.7% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Pakistan carries 43% more fine dust than in Iran.
Iran: 37.7 µg/m³ (2024) · Pakistan: 53.8 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 82% more likely to be murdered in Pakistan than in Iran.
Iran: 2.4 per 100k (2014) · Pakistan: 4.3 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Iran are 73% deadlier than in Pakistan.
Iran: 20.6 per 100k (2021) · Pakistan: 11.9 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Pakistan is on average 1.7 °C warmer than Iran.
Iran: 19.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Pakistan: 21°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Pakistan gets 53% more rain than Iran.
Iran: 272 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Pakistan: 416 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Iran bigger than Pakistan?
Iran is larger. Pakistan fits inside Iran 2.2 times.
Which has more people, Iran or Pakistan?
Pakistan has 2.8 times as many people as Iran (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Iran or Pakistan?
People in Iran live 10 years longer than in Pakistan. Life expectancy at birth is 77.9 years in Iran and 67.8 in Pakistan.
Are people taller in Iran or Pakistan?
Men in Iran are 8.3 cm taller than in Pakistan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
