Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Thailand fits inside Iran 3.4 times
Iran: 1,745,150 km² (2024) · Thailand: 513,115 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Thailand’s coastline is 32% longer than Iran’s
Iran: 2,440 km (2026 edition) · Thailand: 3,219 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Iran’s highest peak towers 3,060 m above Thailand’s
Iran: 5,625 m (2026 edition) · Thailand: 2,565 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 43% of Thailand, versus 29% of Iran
Iran: 29% (2024) · Thailand: 43.3% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Iran has 29% more people than Thailand
Iran: 92.4 million (2025) · Thailand: 71.6 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Thailand is 2.5 times as densely populated as Iran
Iran: 57 per km² (2025) · Thailand: 140 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Iran are 4.0 cm taller than in Thailand
Iran: 175.6 cm (2019) · Thailand: 171.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Iran are 1.8 cm taller than in Thailand
Iran: 161.2 cm (2019) · Thailand: 159.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Thailand is 6.8 years older than in Iran
Iran: 32.9 years (2023) · Thailand: 39.7 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Iran have 0.5 more children on average than in Thailand
Iran: 1.68 children per woman (2024) · Thailand: 1.2 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
16% of people in Thailand are 65 or older, versus 8.6% in Iran
Iran: 8.6% (2025) · Thailand: 16% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Iran hosts 7.1 times as many refugees per resident as Thailand
Iran: 8.3 per 1,000 (2025) · Thailand: 1.2 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Iran has produced 0.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Thailand none
Iran: 0.3 (2026) · Thailand: 0 (2026)
How many official languages?
Iran and Thailand are practically level
Iran: 1 (2026) · Thailand: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Thailand’s economy is 59% larger than Iran’s
Iran: $363 billion (2025) · Thailand: $577 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Thailand produces 33% more per person than Iran
Iran: Int$19,699 (2025) · Thailand: Int$26,250 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Iran than in Thailand (Gini 2.6 points higher)
Iran: 35.9 (2023) · Thailand: 33.3 (2024)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
2.5% of people in Iran live on less than $3 a day, versus 0% in Thailand
Iran: 2.5% (2023) · Thailand: 0% (2024)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 8.3% in Iran, versus 0.8% in Thailand
Iran: 8.3% (2025) · Thailand: 0.8% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Iran spends 2.1% of its GDP on the military, Thailand 1.0%
Iran: 2.1% (2025) · Thailand: 1% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Iran: no data · Thailand: 15.2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Thailand’s price level (US = 100) is 1.5× Iran’s
Iran: 20% (2025) · Thailand: 31% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Thailand spends 22% more on health per person than Iran
Iran: $267 (2023) · Thailand: $327 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Iran live 1.3 years longer than in Thailand
Iran: 77.9 years (2024) · Thailand: 76.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Iran is 34% more likely to die before turning one than in Thailand
Iran: 10.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Thailand: 7.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Iran has 3.3 times as many doctors per person as Thailand
Iran: 1.8 per 1,000 (2023) · Thailand: 0.5 per 1,000 (2021)
How many hospital beds are there?
Thailand has 29% more hospital beds per person than Iran
Iran: 1.9 per 1,000 (2019) · Thailand: 2.4 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Thailand is 60% higher than in Iran
Iran: 6 per 100k (2023) · Thailand: 9.6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Iran are obese, versus 16% in Thailand
Iran: 25.7% (2024) · Thailand: 15.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
18% of adults in Thailand smoke, versus 12% in Iran
Iran: 11.9% (2024) · Thailand: 17.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Thailand rate their lives 1.15 points higher than in Iran
Iran: 5.15 (2025) · Thailand: 6.30 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Thailand drink 382 times as much alcohol as in Iran
Iran: 0.021 litres (2023) · Thailand: 7.9 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Iran has 22% more meat per person than Thailand
Iran: 29.9 kg (2023) · Thailand: 24.5 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Iran has 20 kcal more food per person per day than Thailand
Iran: 2,875 kcal (2023) · Thailand: 2,855 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Iran put in 69 more hours a year than in Thailand
Iran: 2,246 hours (2023) · Thailand: 2,177 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Iran went to school 1.8 years longer than in Thailand
Iran: 10.8 years (2023) · Thailand: 9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Iran: no data · Thailand: 0.56 (2019)
How many World Heritage sites?
Iran has 21 more World Heritage sites than Thailand (30 against 9)
Iran: 30 (2026) · Thailand: 9 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Iran has won 88 Olympic medals, Thailand 41
Iran: 88 (2026 edition) · Thailand: 41 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
91% of people in Thailand are online, versus 85% in Iran
Iran: 85% (2024) · Thailand: 91% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Iran: no data · Thailand: 360 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Iran and Thailand are practically level
Iran: 100% (2024) · Thailand: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
77% of people in Iran live in cities, versus 63% in Thailand
Iran: 77% (2025) · Thailand: 63% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Iran has 174 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Thailand 161
Iran: 174 (2024) · Thailand: 161 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Iran’s railway network is 2.3 times as long as Thailand’s
Iran: 9,455 km (2021) · Thailand: 4,092 km (2017)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Thailand fly 3.7 times as many passengers per resident as those from Iran
Iran: 0.2 (2023) · Thailand: 0.72 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 39% of Thailand, but only 6.6% of Iran
Iran: 6.6% (2024) · Thailand: 38.7% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Iran emits 2.3 times as much CO₂ as someone in Thailand
Iran: 8.7 t (2024) · Thailand: 3.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
17% of Thailand’s electricity is renewable, versus 3.8% in Iran
Iran: 3.8% (2025) · Thailand: 16.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Iran carries 62% more fine dust than in Thailand
Iran: 37.7 µg/m³ (2024) · Thailand: 23.3 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Iran: 2.4 per 100k (2014) · Thailand: no data
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Thailand are 23% deadlier than in Iran
Iran: 28.9 per 100k (2023) · Thailand: 35.6 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Thailand is on average 7.5 °C warmer than Iran
Iran: 19.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Thailand: 26.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Thailand gets 6.1 times as much rain as Iran
Iran: 272 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Thailand: 1,657 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Iran bigger than Thailand?
Iran is larger. Thailand fits inside Iran 3.4 times.
Which has more people, Iran or Thailand?
Iran has 29% more people than Thailand (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Iran or Thailand?
People in Iran live 1.3 years longer than in Thailand. Life expectancy at birth is 77.9 years in Iran and 76.6 in Thailand.
Are people taller in Iran or Thailand?
Men in Iran are 4.0 cm taller than in Thailand (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
