Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Iran fits inside Russia 9.8 times.
Iran: 1,745,150 km² (2023) · Russia: 17,125,200 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Russia’s coastline is 15 times as long as Iran’s.
Iran: 2,440 km (2026 edition) · Russia: 37,653 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Russia and Iran are practically level.
Iran: 5,625 m (2026 edition) · Russia: 5,642 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Russia has 55% more people than Iran.
Iran: 92.4 million (2025) · Russia: 144 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Iran is 6.5 times as densely populated as Russia.
Iran: 57 per km² (2025) · Russia: 9 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Russia are 1.0 cm taller than in Iran.
Iran: 175.6 cm (2019) · Russia: 176.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Russia are 3.3 cm taller than in Iran.
Iran: 161.2 cm (2019) · Russia: 164.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Russia is 6.6 years older than in Iran.
Iran: 32.9 years (2023) · Russia: 39.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Iran have 0.3 more children on average than in Russia.
Iran: 1.68 children per woman (2024) · Russia: 1.42 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
18% of people in Russia are 65 or older, versus 8.6% in Iran.
Iran: 8.6% (2025) · Russia: 17.8% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Russia has produced 2.0 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Iran 0.3.
Iran: 0.3 (2025) · Russia: 2 (2025)
How many official languages?
Iran and Russia are practically level.
Iran: 1 (2026) · Russia: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Russia’s economy is 7.1 times the size of Iran’s.
Iran: $363 billion (2025) · Russia: $2.56 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Russia produces 2.5 times as much per person as Iran.
Iran: Int$19,699 (2025) · Russia: Int$49,568 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Iran than in Russia (Gini 2.9 points higher).
Iran: 35.9 (2023) · Russia: 33 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 8.3% in Iran, versus 2.1% in Russia.
Iran: 8.3% (2025) · Russia: 2.1% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Russia spends 7.1% of its GDP on the military, Iran 2.0%.
Iran: 2% (2024) · Russia: 7.1% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Russia’s price level (US = 100) is 1.8× Iran’s.
Iran: 20% (2025) · Russia: 35% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Russia spends 3.8 times as much on health per person as Iran.
Iran: $267 (2023) · Russia: $1,003 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Iran live 4.4 years longer than in Russia.
Iran: 77.9 years (2024) · Russia: 73.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Iran is 2.5 times as likely to die before turning one as in Russia.
Iran: 10.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Russia: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Russia has 2.8 times as many doctors per person as Iran.
Iran: 1.8 per 1,000 (2023) · Russia: 5.1 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Iran are obese, versus 21% in Russia.
Iran: 25.7% (2024) · Russia: 21.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
27% of adults in Russia smoke, versus 12% in Iran.
Iran: 11.9% (2024) · Russia: 27% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Russia rate their lives 0.68 points higher than in Iran.
Iran: 5.15 (2025) · Russia: 5.83 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Russia drink 504 times as much alcohol as in Iran.
Iran: 0.021 litres (2023) · Russia: 10.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Russia has 2.8 times as much meat per person as Iran.
Iran: 29.9 kg (2023) · Russia: 84.8 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Russia has 653 kcal more food per person per day than Iran.
Iran: 2,875 kcal (2023) · Russia: 3,528 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Iran put in 159 more hours a year than in Russia.
Iran: 2,246 hours (2023) · Russia: 2,087 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Russia went to school 1.6 years longer than in Iran.
Iran: 10.8 years (2023) · Russia: 12.4 years (2023)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Russia are online, versus 85% in Iran.
Iran: 85% (2024) · Russia: 94% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Iran and Russia are practically level.
Iran: 100% (2024) · Russia: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
77% of people in Iran live in cities, versus 75% in Russia.
Iran: 77% (2025) · Russia: 75% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Russia has 186 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Iran 174.
Iran: 174 (2024) · Russia: 186 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Russia’s railway network is 9 times as long as Iran’s.
Iran: 9,455 km (2021) · Russia: 85,544 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Russia fly 3.5 times as many passengers per resident as those from Iran.
Iran: 0.2 (2023) · Russia: 0.69 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 50% of Russia, but only 6.6% of Iran.
Iran: 6.6% (2023) · Russia: 49.8% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Russia emits 42% more CO₂ than someone in Iran.
Iran: 8.7 t (2024) · Russia: 12.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
17% of Russia’s electricity is renewable, versus 3.8% in Iran.
Iran: 3.8% (2025) · Russia: 17.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Iran carries 2.9 times as much fine dust as in Russia.
Iran: 37.7 µg/m³ (2024) · Russia: 12.9 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 3.3 times as likely to be murdered in Russia as in Iran.
Iran: 2.4 per 100k (2014) · Russia: 7.8 per 100k (2024)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Iran are 94% deadlier than in Russia.
Iran: 20.6 per 100k (2021) · Russia: 10.6 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Iran is on average 21.9 °C warmer than Russia.
Iran: 19.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Russia: -2.6°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Russia gets 2.2 times as much rain as Iran.
Iran: 272 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Russia: 586 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Iran bigger than Russia?
Russia is larger. Iran fits inside Russia 9.8 times.
Which has more people, Iran or Russia?
Russia has 55% more people than Iran (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Iran or Russia?
People in Iran live 4.4 years longer than in Russia. Life expectancy at birth is 77.9 years in Iran and 73.4 in Russia.
Are people taller in Iran or Russia?
Men in Russia are 1.0 cm taller than in Iran (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
