How much coast is there?

Iran’s coastline is 1% longer than South Korea’s.

Iran: 2,440 km (2026 edition) · South Korea: 2,413 km (2026 edition)

How high can you climb?

Iran’s highest peak towers 3,675 m above South Korea’s.

Iran: 5,625 m (2026 edition) · South Korea: 1,950 m (2026 edition)

How many people live there?

Iran has 79% more people than South Korea.

Iran: 92.4 million (2025) · South Korea: 51.7 million (2025)

How crowded is it?

South Korea is 9.3 times as densely populated as Iran.

Iran: 57 per km² (2025) · South Korea: 530 per km² (2025)

How old is the typical person?

The typical person in South Korea is 12 years older than in Iran.

Iran: 32.9 years (2023) · South Korea: 44.5 years (2023)

How many children per woman?

Women in Iran have 0.9 more children on average than in South Korea.

Iran: 1.68 children per woman (2024) · South Korea: 0.75 children per woman (2024)

How many people are 65 or older?

20% of people in South Korea are 65 or older, versus 8.6% in Iran.

Iran: 8.6% (2025) · South Korea: 20.3% (2025)

How many Nobel laureates were born there?

South Korea has produced 0.6 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Iran 0.3.

Iran: 0.3 (2025) · South Korea: 0.6 (2025)

How many official languages?

Iran and South Korea are practically level.

Iran: 1 (2026) · South Korea: 1 (2026)

How big is the economy?

South Korea’s economy is 5.2 times the size of Iran’s.

Iran: $363 billion (2025) · South Korea: $1.87 trillion (2025)

How much is produced per person?

South Korea produces 3.2 times as much per person as Iran.

Iran: Int$19,699 (2025) · South Korea: Int$63,125 (2025)

How evenly is income shared?

Income is more unequally shared in Iran than in South Korea (Gini 3 points higher).

Iran: 35.9 (2023) · South Korea: 32.9 (2021)

How many people are looking for work?

Unemployment is 8.3% in Iran, versus 2.7% in South Korea.

Iran: 8.3% (2025) · South Korea: 2.7% (2025)

How much goes to the military?

South Korea spends 2.6% of its GDP on the military, Iran 2.0%.

Iran: 2% (2024) · South Korea: 2.6% (2024)

How expensive is it?

South Korea’s price level (US = 100) is 2.9× Iran’s.

Iran: 20% (2025) · South Korea: 57% (2025)

How much is spent on health?

South Korea spends 12 times as much on health per person as Iran.

Iran: $267 (2023) · South Korea: $3,137 (2024)

How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?

A baby in Iran is 4.5 times as likely to die before turning one as in South Korea.

Iran: 10.3 per 1,000 (2024) · South Korea: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024)

How many doctors are there?

South Korea has 44% more doctors per person than Iran.

Iran: 1.8 per 1,000 (2023) · South Korea: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)

How common is obesity?

26% of adults in Iran are obese, versus 7.5% in South Korea.

Iran: 25.7% (2024) · South Korea: 7.5% (2024)

How many adults smoke?

19% of adults in South Korea smoke, versus 12% in Iran.

Iran: 11.9% (2024) · South Korea: 18.6% (2024)

How do people rate their lives?

People in South Korea rate their lives 0.89 points higher than in Iran.

Iran: 5.15 (2025) · South Korea: 6.04 (2025)

How much do people drink?

Adults in South Korea drink 400 times as much alcohol as in Iran.

Iran: 0.021 litres (2023) · South Korea: 8.3 litres (2023)

How much meat is on the menu?

South Korea has 2.8 times as much meat per person as Iran.

Iran: 29.9 kg (2023) · South Korea: 84 kg (2023)

How much food is there per day?

South Korea has 555 kcal more food per person per day than Iran.

Iran: 2,875 kcal (2023) · South Korea: 3,430 kcal (2023)

How long do people work?

Workers in Iran put in 336 more hours a year than in South Korea.

Iran: 2,246 hours (2023) · South Korea: 1,910 hours (2023)

How long do people go to school?

Adults in South Korea went to school 1.9 years longer than in Iran.

Iran: 10.8 years (2023) · South Korea: 12.7 years (2023)

How many tourists visit?

Iran: no data · South Korea: 0.32 (2024)

How many people are online?

98% of people in South Korea are online, versus 85% in Iran.

Iran: 85% (2024) · South Korea: 98% (2024)

Who has electricity at home?

Iran and South Korea are practically level.

Iran: 100% (2024) · South Korea: 100% (2024)

How many live in cities?

81% of people in South Korea live in cities, versus 77% in Iran.

Iran: 77% (2025) · South Korea: 81% (2025)

How many phones per person?

Iran has 174 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, South Korea 173.

Iran: 174 (2024) · South Korea: 173 (2024)

How much railway is there?

Iran’s railway network is 2.2 times as long as South Korea’s.

Iran: 9,455 km (2021) · South Korea: 4,309 km (2021)

How much do they fly?

Airlines from South Korea fly 7.5 times as many passengers per resident as those from Iran.

Iran: 0.2 (2023) · South Korea: 1.48 (2023)

How much of the land is forest?

Forest covers 64% of South Korea, but only 6.6% of Iran.

Iran: 6.6% (2023) · South Korea: 64.1% (2023)

How much CO₂ does each person emit?

The average person in South Korea emits 30% more CO₂ than someone in Iran.

Iran: 8.7 t (2024) · South Korea: 11.3 t (2024)

How green is the power grid?

10% of South Korea’s electricity is renewable, versus 3.8% in Iran.

Iran: 3.8% (2025) · South Korea: 10.4% (2025)

How clean is the air?

The air in Iran carries 80% more fine dust than in South Korea.

Iran: 37.7 µg/m³ (2024) · South Korea: 21 µg/m³ (2024)

How common is murder?

You are 5 times as likely to be murdered in Iran as in South Korea.

Iran: 2.4 per 100k (2014) · South Korea: 0.5 per 100k (2023)

How dangerous are the roads?

Roads in Iran are 3 times as deadly as in South Korea.

Iran: 20.6 per 100k (2021) · South Korea: 6.9 per 100k (2021)

How warm is it?

Iran is on average 6.1 °C warmer than South Korea.

Iran: 19.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 13.2°C (2016–2025 avg)

How much rain falls?

South Korea gets 4.7 times as much rain as Iran.

Iran: 272 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 1,265 mm (2016–2025 avg)