Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Portugal fits inside Iran 19 times
Iran: 1,745,150 km² (2024) · Portugal: 92,230 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Iran’s coastline is 36% longer than Portugal’s
Iran: 2,440 km (2026 edition) · Portugal: 1,793 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Iran’s highest peak towers 3,274 m above Portugal’s
Iran: 5,625 m (2026 edition) · Portugal: 2,351 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 41% of Portugal, versus 29% of Iran
Iran: 29% (2024) · Portugal: 41.3% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Iran has 8.6 times as many people as Portugal
Iran: 92.4 million (2025) · Portugal: 10.8 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Portugal is 2.1 times as densely populated as Iran
Iran: 57 per km² (2025) · Portugal: 118 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Iran are 1.3 cm taller than in Portugal
Iran: 175.6 cm (2019) · Portugal: 174.4 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Portugal and Iran are practically level
Iran: 161.2 cm (2019) · Portugal: 161.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Portugal is 13 years older than in Iran
Iran: 32.9 years (2023) · Portugal: 46.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Iran have 0.3 more children on average than in Portugal
Iran: 1.68 children per woman (2024) · Portugal: 1.41 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
25% of people in Portugal are 65 or older, versus 8.6% in Iran
Iran: 8.6% (2025) · Portugal: 24.9% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Iran hosts 28% more refugees per resident than Portugal
Iran: 8.3 per 1,000 (2025) · Portugal: 6.5 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Portugal has produced 1.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Iran 0.3
Iran: 0.3 (2026) · Portugal: 1.9 (2026)
How many official languages?
Iran and Portugal are practically level
Iran: 1 (2026) · Portugal: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Iran’s economy is 5% larger than Portugal’s
Iran: $363 billion (2025) · Portugal: $347 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Portugal produces 2.7 times as much per person as Iran
Iran: Int$19,699 (2025) · Portugal: Int$53,146 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Iran than in Portugal (Gini 2 points higher)
Iran: 35.9 (2023) · Portugal: 33.9 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
2.5% of people in Iran live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.4% in Portugal
Iran: 2.5% (2023) · Portugal: 0.4% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 8.3% in Iran, versus 6.2% in Portugal
Iran: 8.3% (2025) · Portugal: 6.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Iran and Portugal are practically level
Iran: 2.1% (2025) · Portugal: 1.7% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Iran: no data · Portugal: 22.3% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Portugal’s price level (US = 100) is 3× Iran’s
Iran: 20% (2025) · Portugal: 60% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Portugal spends 11 times as much on health per person as Iran
Iran: $267 (2023) · Portugal: $2,971 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Portugal live 4.5 years longer than in Iran
Iran: 77.9 years (2024) · Portugal: 82.4 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 Portugal
Iran: 10.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Portugal: 2.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Portugal has 3.2 times as many doctors per person as Iran
Iran: 1.8 per 1,000 (2023) · Portugal: 5.9 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Portugal has 88% more hospital beds per person than Iran
Iran: 1.9 per 1,000 (2019) · Portugal: 3.5 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Portugal is 43% higher than in Iran
Iran: 6 per 100k (2023) · Portugal: 8.6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Iran are obese, versus 23% in Portugal
Iran: 25.7% (2024) · Portugal: 23% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
29% of adults in Portugal smoke, versus 12% in Iran
Iran: 11.9% (2024) · Portugal: 28.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Portugal rate their lives 0.88 points higher than in Iran
Iran: 5.15 (2025) · Portugal: 6.03 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Portugal drink 665 times as much alcohol as in Iran
Iran: 0.021 litres (2023) · Portugal: 13.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Portugal has 3.3 times as much meat per person as Iran
Iran: 29.9 kg (2023) · Portugal: 99.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Portugal has 678 kcal more food per person per day than Iran
Iran: 2,875 kcal (2023) · Portugal: 3,553 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Iran put in 511 more hours a year than in Portugal
Iran: 2,246 hours (2023) · Portugal: 1,735 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Iran went to school 1.1 years longer than in Portugal
Iran: 10.8 years (2023) · Portugal: 9.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Iran: no data · Portugal: 2.71 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
Iran has 13 more World Heritage sites than Portugal (30 against 17)
Iran: 30 (2026) · Portugal: 17 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Iran has won 88 Olympic medals, Portugal 32
Iran: 88 (2026 edition) · Portugal: 32 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
88% of people in Portugal are online, versus 85% in Iran
Iran: 85% (2024) · Portugal: 88% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Iran: no data · Portugal: 330 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Iran and Portugal are practically level
Iran: 100% (2024) · Portugal: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
77% of people in Iran live in cities, versus 61% in Portugal
Iran: 77% (2025) · Portugal: 61% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Iran has 174 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Portugal 124
Iran: 174 (2024) · Portugal: 124 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Iran’s railway network is 3.7 times as long as Portugal’s
Iran: 9,455 km (2021) · Portugal: 2,527 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Portugal fly 8.7 times as many passengers per resident as those from Iran
Iran: 0.2 (2023) · Portugal: 1.69 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 37% of Portugal, but only 6.6% of Iran
Iran: 6.6% (2024) · Portugal: 36.6% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Iran emits 2.5 times as much CO₂ as someone in Portugal
Iran: 8.7 t (2024) · Portugal: 3.4 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
81% of Portugal’s electricity is renewable, versus 3.8% in Iran
Iran: 3.8% (2025) · Portugal: 81% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Iran carries 3.6 times as much fine dust as in Portugal
Iran: 37.7 µg/m³ (2024) · Portugal: 10.5 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 Portugal
Iran: 2.4 per 100k (2014) · Portugal: 0.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Iran are 2.6 times as deadly as in Portugal
Iran: 28.9 per 100k (2023) · Portugal: 11 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Iran is on average 3.4 °C warmer than Portugal
Iran: 19.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Portugal: 15.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Portugal gets 2.9 times as much rain as Iran
Iran: 272 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Portugal: 777 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Iran bigger than Portugal?
Iran is larger. Portugal fits inside Iran 19 times.
Which has more people, Iran or Portugal?
Iran has 8.6 times as many people as Portugal (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Iran or Portugal?
People in Portugal live 4.5 years longer than in Iran. Life expectancy at birth is 77.9 years in Iran and 82.4 in Portugal.
Are people taller in Iran or Portugal?
Men in Iran are 1.3 cm taller than in Portugal (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
